I have huge respect for Google and manufacturers for fixing one of the then most broken aspects of Android, i.e., timely Android updates and years of support. Speaking of which, it’s been a while since Android 15 was released and Android 16 development is already underway. It all went smoothly for manufacturers like OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, and others. They all pushed their OS updates based on Android 15 in under a month after the latter’s release.
The only exception is Samsung. The decision to delay One UI 7 for the Galaxy S24 series (reportedly) has already caused disdain among fans. And the firm’s “reasons” aren’t helping. Reports now suggest that Samsung may delay One UI 7 for older devices to April. So, willingly or unwillingly, the Korean giant is pretty much shooting itself in the foot.
What’s Up With Samsung?
If you just woke up from a two-month-long slumber, not much has changed. Especially when smartphone firm executives can’t go even a few seconds before muttering the word “AI”. It all started when Samsung pushed back the release date of One UI 7. The brand cited reasons like delays and “bigger than usual” update size, which, they claimed, needed more testing. One UI 7 would then launch alongside the Galaxy S25 (review) series, with new AI features like the Now Bar.
However, loyal customers of Samsung Galaxy S24 and S23 series, including the ultra-premium Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 owners, are quite upset. This is because they sought these high-end phones for quick update turnaround times. But they were left in disarray when the news about Samsung delaying the update until April broke out.
Well, Samsung did bring One UI 7 in beta to some S24 users. But the latest Z Fold and Z Flip users were completely left out. Hence, they’re the most upset and eager to get a taste of Samsung’s cooking.
Therefore, while owners of the Galaxy S25 and even new budget phones like the Galaxy F06 5G get to enjoy One UI 7, others feel left out. This led to a rising stigma that Samsung is intentionally not pushing One UI 7 to its older devices. Users believe the company wants to keep their latest update, Galaxy S25-exclusive, at least for the time being.
According to users, the Korean giant is aware the S25 series brings no major improvements over the S24 series. While we have our reservations about the same, people believe that Samsung is fearing that more users may purchase the much cheaper S24 series instead of the S25 series.
What are Samsung’s “Reasons” For the One UI 7 Delay?
One UI 7 does bring some significant improvements and features that we praised in our review. It’s clear that a LOT of effort went into this update. But Samsung’s excuse, as revealed in an interview, is that the update is being tested for a more stable experience. Most users feel that it’s corporate fluff.
The firm has yet to come up with an actual good reason for what’s causing the delay. I’m not an expert software tester. But I’ve heard from many, including my colleague Anshuman, that One UI 7 Beta has been mostly stable. Sure, there’s more than what meets the eye when it comes to software development. But it really shouldn’t take Samsung four more Beta releases for it to qualify as “Stable”.
A Deliberate Move to Upsell S25 Series?
While most believe it is, there’s still a faint group of people who believe Samsung’s being cautious to not mess up the update on its older phones. Some believe Google is directly responsible for Samsung holding back. Their understanding is that the search giant may not be capable of handling so many Gemini and AI queries at once. I, for one, think it could be a mixture of a few or all of those reasons.
However, assumptions spread like wildfire and tend to pile up, resulting in resentment from people. So, it all boils down to how the brand handles it, and we wish Samsung gave users a timeline for when the update would arrive. Some amount of transparency would certainly calm down these accusations a bit.
Not to mention, an increasing number of users believe that the pieces of the puzzle slot in too well for it to be a coincidence. This has led many to assume Samsung might be holding back from increasing the Galaxy S25 sales. The reason is simple. The first beta came in delayed but still pretty soon on December 5. This was followed by the immediate release of the second beta on December 16, and the third on January 5.
This rapid-fire series of updates got people to believe Samsung was making great progress, and the One UI 7 push was nigh for the S24 series. However, when the update didn’t arrive, users started to wonder whether the brand may have realized the potential risk of this eating away the sales of their brand-new S25 series and therefore changed the trajectory.
Some took to X, saying if One UI 7 is really so unstable on the S24 series, the S25 series shouldn’t have come with the same either.
We believe users do have a point. We’ve seen this case with the Pixel 9 (review) and Android 15 last year because Google wanted to give a stable experience to users. If I were Samsung and was comprehensively testing One UI 7, the complaints would definitely ruin my motivation. While I’m not defending the firm, it’s important that users understand testing is a huge part of the process. Perhaps, there might have been some much-needed optimization for the S24 and older devices.
But again, in an ideal world and compared to other manufacturers, a delay of almost 9 months (including the initial delay) is quite uncalled-for. Recent reports also suggest that Samsung has canceled the release of One UI 7.1 due to the delay. This would apply to both new and old Galaxy phones. It could mean Samsung might be right about the delay due to bugs and issues.
Samsung Should’ve Seen This Coming
Reiterating, I have massive respect for the developers and firms pushing out timely updates. Samsung has upped the ante among Android phones. But for a company this big, the lack of transparency has definitely made a few holes in the ship. A few more days and you’ll have users start questioning the 7-year update promise. It’s something worth thinking about, considering the state of affairs right now.
And then there are the competitors. The OnePlus 13 (review), a phone that costs almost half as much as the S24 Ultra, received OxygenOS 15 (review) based on Android 15 in November. It was not a minor update but not as major as One UI 7 either, but you get the point.
The main disappointment seems to stem from the fact that the users paid the premium, thinking they’d receive timely updates. And then the brand made its loyal customers feel left out, which certainly didn’t feel right.
Back when the first One UI 7 beta came out, I was tempted to switch over to the Galaxy S24 series. Well, I still feel like it, but I’m not sure if I have the same open mind I had to initially buy one. That’s because I was hopeful the update would soon arrive on the S24. The same goes for users when they hear about these events, they try to move away from the brand. It’s these little things that make a significant impact.
Or, if the concerns around One UI 7’s stability are significant, we believe Samsung should still push it out without some features. This would give developers enough leeway to test the remaining features. Also, it would make users happy about the new features and give them hope about more to come.
Still, I want to give Samsung the benefit of the doubt because they’re yet to officially announce a release date. The arrival in April was confirmed by one of the prominent tipster Ice Universe. But again, the dates are still not official, so I’m still holding on to it, expecting a miracle. Besides, there are rumors that Samsung could soon end the One UI 7 Beta for the S24 series but nothing’s official yet.
One UI 7 Delay: Will It Bode Well for the Brand?
Being a huge Android evangelist, I hold no grudges against any particular brand, and I want them all to succeed. However, Samsung’s lack of participation in the discussion has enabled many users to speak up about the potential reasons for the delay. If the reason for the delay is truly to upsell the S25 series, Samsung risks alienating the brand’s reputation.
The brand should focus on being transparent in these situations, or it could further deteriorate and damage its reputation. One UI 7 still has every chance of leaving users impressed, if Samsung were to acknowledge the delay along with an expected date of arrival.
Reports from One UI Beta moderators and customer service executives suggest that One UI 7 Beta 4 will be the last beta before stable. This means users could expect the update anytime soon now. However, we propose you take this with a grain of salt. If the update does come out this month or in March, it would be significantly later than other UIs, and Samsung needs to work on the both speed and transparency.
What are your thoughts on Samsung delaying One UI 7? Do you think it’s true that Samsung;’s doing so to boost the sales of the S25 series? Let us know in the comments.
