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Google announced Android 15 in February 2024, full of new features and changes, but it didn’t arrive until October. After countless delays, it’ll soon be available on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. Samsung is finally beta testing Android 15 (One UI 7), and here’s what you need to know.
Currently, Android 15 isavailable on a wide array of Pixel phones, and other manufacturers like Samsung are busy with beta testing, even if they’re starting later this year than previous releases. The first Galaxy phones to receive Android 15 (One UI 7) will likely be the Galaxy S24 series, with more to follow.
Like Google, Samsung delayed its Android 15 (One UI 7)beta program, which eventually started in December. Now that it’s here, we expect the official update to arrive within the first few months of 2025.
When Will Samsung Release Android 15?
Before Samsung officially releases the One UI 7 update (Android 15) for its Galaxy phones and tablets, owners in select regions with specific models can beta test the software early. So far, it’s available for Galaxy S24 users in select countries, including Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the U.K., and the U.S.
Samsung startedinternally testing the betaway back in May and many expected a summer arrival, but it wasn’t stable enough for a public release. Unfortunately, the One UI 7 beta is one of the latest betas in recent memory and has faced several delays.
Google released Android 15 a little later than usual, too, but Samsung is still a little behind. For example, it arrived during the summer withAndroid 14 last year for the Galaxy S23. In October,we learnedthat the manufacturer officially delayed the update to 2025.
Thankfully, Samsung officially launched the first Galaxy S24 Android 15 beta in December, which means it’ll slowly become available for more phones in the coming weeks and months. We anticipate betas for the Galaxy S23, new foldables, and potentially the Galaxy S22 in January or February ahead of official updates. Last year, the S23 started things off in August, then the Galaxy S22 beta dropped in September, and so on.
So, when will the beta end and Samsung officially release Android 15 (One UI 7) for its phones and tablets? With all these delays, official updates for owners won’t start until late January at the earliest. For now, Samsung has only said it’s coming in the first quarter of 2025. Samsung is typically one of the best at updates, but it also has a ton of phones, so those with an older device like the Galaxy S21 Ultra may end up waiting until sometime closer to March 2025.
What to Expect from One UI 7
The One UI 7 update, based on Android 15, will offer a combination of new features from Google and countless changes by the developer teams at Samsung. We’ll know more after additional betas arrive, but there are multiple features we expect to see, along with a few rumors.
For starters, now thatAndroid 15 supports satellite connectivityfor emergencies, Samsung could bring the feature to its flagship Galaxy S24 and potentially more. We heardrumors of it back in 2023, which didn’t pan out, but things should be easier now. We’ve also heard rumors that Samsung mightmake a vertical app draweran option in settings.
Look for Android 15’s new battery health mode, Google’sprivate space feature(although Samsung has the Secure Folder), App archiving, improved multitasking, and integration with Google’sFind My Device Network.
The first Samsung Galaxy Android 15 beta boasts aredesigned interfacewith a new notification system and “Now Bar” for quick access to key information on the lock screen. Think of it like the iPhone Dynamic Island but on the lock screen. We’re seeing many lock screen changes, camera UX tweaks, new animations, and a revised battery charging icon that no one seems to like.
Other possible quality-of-life changes are the newNotification Cooldownsystem in Android 15 and partial screen sharing, where owners can record part of the screen but not all of it—tons of enhanced security and anti-theft protection, better passkeys support, and more. Then, as you can imagine, look out for additional Galaxy AI features, AI tools, or AI “enhancements” throughout. So far, we’re seeing new AI-powered writing tools for summarizing content, checking grammar, and calling transcripts in 20 languages. Again, the beta will change a lot between now and the final release in 2025.
Which Samsung Galaxy Phones Will Get Android 15, and When?
Samsung isn’t ready to share a list ofphonesandtabletsthat will receive the official Android 15 update yet. Still, we know it’ll start with its latest flagship Galaxy S24 series, likely in January or February, then slowly expand to the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 5/6, Galaxy S23 family, S22, A-series, tablets, and more in the following months.
For those unaware,Samsung supports phonesreleased over the last several years with four years of OS updates and five years of security patches. For example, the Galaxy S21 series should get Android 15, but not Android 16. The Galaxy S20 series will not get Android 15 and One UI 7. However, Samsung extended support to 7 years for the Galaxy S24, which is a step in the right direction. Until we hear from Samsung, here’s an unconfirmed list of Galaxy devices that’ll get Android 15 and One UI 7.
Galaxy Phones
Samsung offers a wide range of devices for multiple regions and networks, and we can’t list them all until we’re closer to the Android 15 release date. Just know that if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone released in the last 2–3 years, it’ll likely see Android 15 (One UI 7) during the first half of 2025.
Galaxy Tab Android 15
Of course, Samsung will eventually update several Galaxy Tab devices to One UI 7, even budget tablets, but its phone lineup typically takes priority. The older Galaxy Tab S7 is no longer receiving Android releases, but anything newer should get Android 15.
Essentially, any Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet that launched running Android 13 or released in late 2022 (or newer) should get Android 15, at the bare minimum. The bigger question is when. If your device istoo old to receive OS updates, it may still get security patches.
Remember that the list above is only an estimate, as are the release dates, which will depend on how long the beta testing phase takes. Samsung will likely release a device list or update its community forums with more information on the beta. With the One UI 7 beta officially underway, expect more details soon. That said, timelines and software updates can and will change, especially between regions, carrier-locked devices, and other factors.
Even if you see the Galaxy S23 getting Android 15 in one region, that doesn’t mean it’ll arrive the same week on an AT&T variant. Things are fluid, and ETA’s change, but we’ll keep an eye out and update as we learn more.
