When Samsung finally kicked off its stable One UI 7 rollout for Galaxy S24 series, Z Fold 6, and Z Flip 6 users in South Korea on Monday (yes, this Monday), I predicted the same devices would receive the same update in many European countries within hours or days, possibly beating the US to the Android 15 punch by a good couple of weeks or so.
But as it turns out, I was wrong (at least in part), with the old continent left waiting until earlier today... and the US suffering the exact same fate, at least as far as the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra are concerned. That's right, those of you who own one of Samsung's 2024-released crown jewels should keep an eye out for a notification informing them a long overdue update is available.
No carrier love?
Before getting too excited, however, it's important to point out that many of you might still be out of luck. Specifically, those in possession of carrier-locked S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra units. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly), Samsung's massive collection of Android 15-based One UI 7 goodies is only for unlocked versions of the three high-end handsets stateside for the time being.
While that's likely to change before long and the update is obviously expected to expand to all US-based owners of a Galaxy S24 series device eventually, no one can say for sure exactly when that will happen. What's very possible is that the US unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 will follow suit with stable OS promotions of their own after the two foldables scored their update pretty much at the same time as the S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra in South Korea and across Europe.
If all this movement happened three or four months ago, I probably would have been the first to congratulate Samsung on a job well done. But with One UI 8 likely to debut (in stable form) in just three or four months (at least according to some insiders), we're clearly looking at a too-little-too-late type of situation here. And even though I realize the company doesn't have full control over the software support policy of carrier-specific phones in the US, any further delay on that front is guaranteed to rub salt into the wounds of many hardcore Samsung fans.
How late is Samsung and what's next?
For those of you who need their memory quickly refreshed, I should point out that Android 15 started its beta tests all the way back in April 2024. That's a full 12 months ago, and while Google itself spent an unusually long time stabilizing this OS version before finally releasing it to the Pixel-owning masses in October 2024, Samsung's sluggish rollout is something else entirely, and it may well be found inexcusable by some S24 series users.
If everything goes to plan, the Z Fold 5 will follow the S24 Ultra in the One UI 7 club at some point this month. | Image Credit - PhoneArena
Of course, things are even worse for older and/or humbler devices, which will obviously be kept waiting even more. The current plan is to spread the One UI 7 love to the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, Tab S10 Ultra, S23, S23 Plus, S23 Ultra, and Galaxy S24 FE by the end of April, and that could go for South Korea, Europe, and the US.
Then again, Samsung's plans have changed so many times in the last few months that it's wise to no longer take anything (positive) for granted. If all those devices end up being updated this month, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, Tab S9, Tab S9 Plus, Tab S9 Ultra, S23 FE, Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, Galaxy A34, A35, S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, Tab S8, Tab S8 Plus, Tab S8 Ultra, S21, S21 Plus, S21 Ultra, and A16 could join the party in May. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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