Samsung's foldables get Android 15 (One UI 7) at last, but there's a catch

If it feels like you’ve been waiting an age for your Samsung phone to update, then you’d be right. The move to One UI 7 has taken longer than many might have expected, with delays, shuffling timelines and a whole lot more. We’re one step closer to that update, however, with an official timeline for when it’s going to land.

The big but in this story is that although you can get access to One UI 7 and Android 15 on more Samsung devices – the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 particularly – this is still only the beta. That means it’s not finished software and there could be bugs and other changes still to come.

For reference, Google updated its Pixel phones to Android 15 in October 2024. Samsung had been getting faster over the last couple of years, but the most recent move to Android 15 seems to have been rather slow. The Galaxy S25 family launched with Android 15 and One UI 7 in January, but other devices are left languishing on the beta.

If you want to get access to the beta program, you’ll have to do that through the Samsung Members app on your device, with those in India, Korea, UK and US able to access the build. As I mentioned, it’s for the for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 first, although it’s expected that the S24 family will get the final update on the same date.

Samsung has also confirmed that we’ll soon be getting One UI 7 beta access on Galaxy S23 models and Galaxy Tab S10.

When will Samsung One UI 7 come out?

The official word from Samsung is that One UI 7 – built on Android 15 – will roll out in April. That’s all that’s been confirmed so far, but there have been leaks pointing to more specific dates, which breakdown as follows:

• 18 April: Galaxy S24 family, Z Flip 6, Z Fold 6, S24 FE
• 25 April: Galaxy S23 family, Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5, Galaxy A54
• 16 May: Galaxy S22, S23 FE, Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4, A34, A53, A33
• 23 May: Galaxy S21, Z Flip 3, Z Fold 3

Take these details with pinch of salt, however, because they are unconfirmed – but if nothing else, Samsung landing the update across a wide number of devices over a couple of weeks will certainly please mean owners.

Meanwhile, Google has pushed its final Pixel Drop for Android 15, and is starting to prepare for the move to Android 16…