Here’s how Samsung could juggle Android updates and flagship launches

Google’s changes to Android 16‘s release schedule have shaken up the entire Android ecosystem’s software release schedule. With Android 16 releasing earlier than usual, phone manufacturers have had to rethink some of their phone launches, as they risked launching flagships that did not ship with the latest Android version on board. Samsung extensively delayed One UI 7 rollout for the benefit of the Galaxy S25 series, and even jumped to One UI 8 for the benefit of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7. A new leak is now clarifying how Samsung’s update schedule will proceed in light of these changes.

Noted leaked UniverseIce shared an explanation of Samsung’s future update schedule. The leaker mentions that Samsung will now seemingly look to align major One UI version updates with Google’s Android platform releases.

For instance, One UI 8 is based on Android 16, and you can expect One UI 9 to be based on Android 17. These platform jumps will be aligned with the release of a new generation of Galaxy Z flagships, so you can expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to launch with One UI 9 based on Android 17 sometime next year.

Changes are expected for Galaxy S flagships, too. These phones will now be the first to receive updates for One UI x.5 version releases. You’d think that Samsung would have expended all of its key features with the primary platform jump intended for the Galaxy Z flagship, but leaker UniverseIce says that the company will be reserving major changes for this point-five release on the Galaxy S flagship.

For example, you can expect new UI/UX, AI features, and software enhancements to come with One UI 8.5 that will launch with the Galaxy S26 series, which will release sometime in early 2026.

The leaker further mentions that the Galaxy S series remains Samsung’s flagship priority. The development timeline from Z Fold to S flagships is longer, so the updates also get more time to be refined.

This change helps make the Galaxy S-series flagships even more important, while the Galaxy Z series flagships can pull their own weight with bleeding-edge foldable tech. However, I continue to dislike that Samsung would be holding off on updates artificially just to squeeze some exclusivity for its latest hardware. Even Apple doesn’t do so, with all iPhones getting the latest iOS update on day one, often before the freshest, newest iPhone reaches consumers. Older Galaxy flagship users deserve better than such artificial delays, and I hope Samsung at least begins stable rollout on the same day as it launches new hardware.