Republished on December 4 with reports Samsung’s Android 15 beta will launch on one flagship device within the next 24 hours.
These are unusually crazy times for stable Samsung, not only on the corporate front and the chipset front, but also with the furor around its delayed Android 15 update. This has left millions of Galaxy S24 and S23 owners in particular waiting much longer than expected for Google’s and Samsung’s latest AI innovations, as well as the raft of security and privacy upgrades that mark Android 15’s biggest updates.
Last week all those users were teased—briefly—when Samsung’s website in Spain mistakenly published details of the forthcoming update, but even that was soon gone. The leaked update schedule suggests some progress this month on the beta front, but only for a select few models and regions, with most having to wait for the stable release early in 2025 which will be timed to match the launch of the new S25 Series.
Little surprise then that users are grabbing what they can, when they can. As spotted by Phone Arena over the weekend, “in a remarkable display of longing for Samsung’s latest software update, leaked system apps have surfaced on the internet—and people are downloading them.” Hardly needs saying—but please don’t install leaked updates onto your flagship phone that you download from the internet.
Phone Arena explains that “these aren’t major system apps either. Certainly nothing that would overhaul the performance or user experience of your phone.” We’re talking the most basic apps—clock, calculator, calendar. “All three apps are unlikely to introduce any major changes… But that hasn’t stopped users from sharing APK files and instructions on how to replace their current apps with the new ones.”
While the functionality of a clock or calculator may be limited, the potential for it to damage your device, to steal your data or credentials is anything but. It doesn’t matter whether the account leaking these files seems trustworthy, it’s just not worth the risk. Samsung is already clamping down on sideloading for that same reason, and Google is midway through a purge of Play Store, with thousands of apps removed.
Ironically, what would make installing these apps safer is Android 15. Google’s new live threat detection uses on-device AI to flag risky app behavior or permission abuse on your phone itself, without having to rely on central watchlists. But not only do Samsung devices not yet have this update, we don’t yet know for sure it’s coming with its One UI 7 deployment of Google’s new software. Let’s hope so.
Meanwhile, fight the temptation and await those official updates—even if you have an S24 or S23 and know you’ll get the One UI 7 update and maybe the beta as well, depending on where you live. As Phone Arena warns, “downloading strange files off of the internet for a slight taste of One UI 7 can be dangerous.”
The good news for all those waiting is that the release of One UI 7 does finally appear to be getting much closer, at least for those with S24s living in the right countries, who can expect to see the beta release first.
According to SammyFans, “reports suggest that Samsung is currently progressively working on the One UI 7 update for the Galaxy S24 series. The latest version has changed from ZXKV to ZXKY. The new build shows that Samsung is giving the final touch before rolling out the update. This also means the beta version is very close to being available for users to test.”
Owners of Galaxy flagships will hope that once the beta beings to rollout it’s a steady process all the way through to the stable release in 2025. Reports have suggested that wrinkles have been ironed out and significant effort has been put into the user experience and look and feel of this release.
“As Samsung continues to develop the update,” SammyFans says, “more details will likely emerge in the coming weeks. Notably, Samsung is going to release a stable update next year with the Galaxy S25 series. After the release, Samsung will start the One UI 7 Stable rollout for Galaxy devices, including Galaxy S23, Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy A55, Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6, and more.”
SamMobile agrees. “The first beta build of One UI 7.0 could be released any day now,” it says, reporting that “ahead of the release, new versions of Samsung’s stock apps are getting leaked with new designs.”
Which brings us full circle. Whatever new apps are teased and maybe, seemingly made available to download, you still need to resist that temptation even though the beta is close. And then once the beta arrives—given it will be limited, you still need to resist any lures to install software from unofficial channels.
But finally, Tuesday seems to have brought the news users have been awaiting.
As reported by 9to5Google, “after months of back and forth, Samsung is reportedly planning to launch its first Android 15 beta release tomorrow, December 5. Samsung was initially expected to launch its first beta for One UI 7, the company’s take on Android 15, months ago, but it’s been delayed time and time again. It was promised that the update would be available in beta before the end of the year, but the clock is certainly ticking. Finally, it seems like the wait is over.”
The news come via reliable tipster Max Jambor, who posted on X that “I just spoke with Samsung: OneUI7 Beta will be available for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra starting tomorrow, December 5th. German customers will be one of the first to participate.”
“The update,” 9to5Google commented, “would deliver the first taste of Samsung’s Android 15 update, with the beta presumably expanding to other devices in the weeks to follow. If years past serve as any indication, the program will be available through the Samsung Members app in select countries. Jambor mentions that Germany will be among the first-supported regions, implying a wider initial beta release than usual. Most of the time, the US and Korea are among the first with Europe and other regions following later on.”
While most One UI 7 speculation has focused on look and feel, animations and media, the underlying Android 15 update is all about security. With Samsung pushing its own security credentials hard at the moment, this could narrow the gap between Samsung Galaxy phones and iPhones within the premium smartphone category.
SamMobile reported the same news, telling Galaxy owners that “while an official confirmation about the One UI 7 beta launch has yet to arrive from Samsung, it appears that Samsung Germany has inadvertently revealed when the beta will go live, and it may arrive sooner than you might think.”
The specialist Samsung website reported that “someone reached out to Samsung Germany through the official customer support channel and asked about the One UI 7 beta launch date. The support representative confirmed that the One UI 7 beta program will be launched tomorrow, December 5, for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra. They even shared artwork which confirms the impending launch of the beta program.”
If true, this seems to suggest the long wait might now be almost over.
“Germany won’t be the only country where the One UI 7 beta is launched,” SamMobile says. “There are many countries where the beta will eventually be available, so users in eligible countries may get notified to join the beta program as soon as tomorrow… It’s not surprising that Samsung’s 2024 flagship Galaxy S series will be the first to receive access to the beta. We do expect that the beta will be expanded to more devices as that has been the case in the past.”
By the end of this week, attention will turn from. the timing and availability of the beta to first views on the new features being made available. We can hope it will also clarify which of Android 15’s flagship security updates will be included.
