Apple has stolen tech headlines this week with its global rollout of iOS 26, the latest free software update for the iPhone, but with good reason. Apple manages to bring a new operating system version once a year and successfully push it out on the same day to millions of different models of iPhone.
Before the iPhone 17 has even hit shelves, you can download iOS 26 today if you have an iPhone 11 or later.
Unfortunately, this appears to be something Samsung can only dream of.
Despite launching the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 with One UI 8, Samsung’s version of Android 16, the newest iteration, back in July, the firm has only this week announced that it is finally sending out the update to other phones.
As of September 15, Samsung said it would roll out One UI 8 based on Android 16 to older Galaxy phones, starting with the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra.
“One UI 8 will also reach the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6, Galaxy Z Flip6, Galaxy S24 FE and additional eligible models later this year,” Samsung said in a press release.
The company confirmed in a footnote the full list of Galaxy smartphones and tablets that will receive One UI 8 before the end of 2025.
Galaxy S25 series, Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6, Galaxy Z Flip6, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Fold5, Galaxy Z Flip5, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Z Fold4, Galaxy Z Flip4, Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Tab S10 series, Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Galaxy Tab S10 Lite, Galaxy Tab S9 series, Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Galaxy Tab S8 series, Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, Galaxy A26 5G, Galaxy A17 5G, Galaxy A17, Galaxy A07, Galaxy A06 5G, Galaxy A55 5G, Galaxy A35 5G, Galaxy A25 5G, Galaxy A16 5G, Galaxy A16, Galaxy A15 5G, Galaxy A06, Galaxy A54 5G, Galaxy A34 5G, Galaxy A73 5G, Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G.
As you can see, this update path goes back to phones such as the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and S21 FE that were released in 2022. That’s not bad, but that’s only going back three years, when Apple managed to send iOS 26 to the iPhone 11 series released six years ago in 2019.
Phones such as the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra released in 2021 are out of luck, as at that time Samsung only promised then four years of software updates. These phones will stay on Android 15.
Samsung now tends to promise six or seven years of OS and security updates depending on the product line of its Galaxy phones and tablets.
As for the One UI 8 update, Samsung says it will bring “advanced multimodal AI capabilities, a UX optimized for different device form factors and personalized, proactive suggestions to make everyday life smarter and more convenient” to older Galaxy phones.
That includes bringing relatively new Samsung software perks to those phones, such as the Now Bar and Now Brief, AI-tinged app activity and personalised daily information tools respectively.
Samsung also includes enhanced security features in One UI 8 that work behind the scenes to keep data and apps more secure, plus the software better integrates Galaxy AI tools where applicable alongside better integration with Google Gemini and Gemini Live, Google’s chatbot that aims for you to have more natural conversations with AI.
And if you have a Z Fold or Z Flip phone that’s getting Android 16, Samsung says it has better optimised these AI tools for the shape and size of your screen, including the use of Gemini Live on the Z Flip series’ outer screen without needing to open the phone up.
“One UI 8 also provides AI-powered tools like Portrait Studio, which can capture the vibrant expressions of pets and then generate artistic, studio-like pet portraits,” Samsung said. “Users can also enjoy seamless communication in noisy environments with Call Captions — which instantly converts voices into text during calls — as well as keyboard inputs when using Interpreter, which allows users to translate ideas by typing.”