Samsung users are currently falling ever further behind, as Pixel and other phone users install Android 15 with its major security and privacy upgrades, and iPhone users start playing with iOS 18.1 and its new AI upgrades.
Samsung confirmed the bad news for Galaxy users at its developer conference last month, telling SDC that the One UI 7 beta which brings Android 15 will be released before year-end, and the stable release itself will be here in time for the S25 Series, due to be launched early in 2025.
While some feared the beta might not turn up until December or perhaps with the next SDC in Korea, starting on November 21, the good news is that it increasingly looks like it’s now just two weeks away. As Phone Arena reports, “according to images posted by X user Tarun Vats, beta forum pages have been set up on Samsung’s Community website, hinting that the beta program is about to start. Samsung insider Ice Universe added that the beta program will kick off in around 15 days.”
According to SammyFans, “last heard, Samsung wants to roll out a stable-quality build as the first Beta. It will ensure Galaxy users experience the One UI 7 with new features and user interface. However, the continuous delay is quite frustrating for eager Samsung fans. One UI 7 will bring Android 15 to Samsung smartphones. In a recent development, the Korean tech giant published One UI Beta forums in the US community. It suggests the Beta activity is progressing towards a majestic launch.”
Maybe, but more likely the first beta release will be prone to bugs and even some crashes, as you’d expect from an initial beta. There are also some serious question to be addressed on the security and privacy front—what’s in and what’s out.
Here the details will matter. Security-minded users will be especially interested in the live threat detection that Google plans to push out, also before year-end. This uses on-device AI to flag malware right away, before it’s able to do harm. There is also the cellular network defense that requires modem support. Could the S25 be first to this update now that the Pixel 9 has been confirmed to miss out. We do expect anti-theft protection and private space in the release, but the others remain unconfirmed.
The fact Android 15 is so focused on security and privacy, and that both Samsung and Google have been steadily improving the Android platform for their users, gives a good indicator as where the premium smartphone category is now. Perhaps the best example being the clampdown on sideloading, with the prior free rein removed.
Perhaps more concerning to users of expensive Samsung flagships will be the news from Google that Android 16 is coming early next year. Given Samsung has been so late to the party on Android 15, is there any chance it can catch up or will this become a perennial problem for Galaxy users? We will soon find out.