Samsung's mid-range phones get One UI 7 ahead of the Galaxy S24

Samsung usually does a good job with software updates, but that isn't the case with One UI 7. While most other manufacturers rolled out the Android 15-based update to their flagships, Samsung is still on the beta channel, with a stable release slated for the month of April. To put things in context, Google plans to release Android 16 in June, so by the time the Android 15 update rolls out to most Galaxy S24 models around the world, the next version of Android will be ready.

This isn't an issue with the brand's Galaxy S25 devices, which debuted with One UI 7. Samsung launched the Galaxy A36 and A56 in recent weeks, and the mid-range devices also run One UI 7 based on Android 15 out of the box, meaning they have the update ahead of the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra models.

In characteristic fashion, Samsung hasn't said why the update is taking so long, only noting that it has seven beta builds planned out. The interminable wait means last year's Galaxy S24 models will be the last flagships to make the switch to Android 15; Xiaomi has traditionally been the laggard in this regard, but even the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra got the stable Android 15-based update at the start of the year.

Like Google and Honor, Samsung guarantees seven years of Android updates to its flagships, but the fact that the update isn't available six months after the debut of the stable Android 15 build is worrisome. Unlike recent releases, One UI 7 has plenty of new features, including the Now Bar and Now Brief, even more AI utilities, and a cleaner visual design that's been a long time coming.

Of course, all the new additions are meaningless if it takes Samsung this long to roll out the update to its phones, and it's interesting to see how Chinese manufacturers are now doing a much better job in this regard. OnePlus, for instance, delivered the stable Android 15 update to its phones back in October, and it was followed by OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi, who started their updates at the end of the year.

The lengthy wait combined with the accelerated release of Android 16 means Samsung has to scramble to deliver these updates to its older phones. And talking about the Galaxy A56, while the brand didn't change too much with the device (yet again), the phone could be a decent choice if you need a mid-ranger in the U.S., where most Chinese manufacturers don't sell their products. This isn't the case outside the country, as even budget phones like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro are a much better choice.

Ultimately, it's the Galaxy A models that contribute to Samsung's bottom line in a more meaningful way than the Galaxy S series, so it is understandable that the brand is turning its attention to releasing new models instead of delivering updates to its older phones.