Tech
Samsung’s Android 15 Leak—Bad News For Nearly All Galaxy Owners
If this latest leak is true, Samsung’s ill-fated One UI 7 beta still has some nasty surprises for Galaxy owners. The beta was very late coming—albeit what it adds is excellent. And now as millions more users look forward to installing the beta over the next few weeks, they could be disappointed.
As posted by @familytaes on X, “24 series OneUI 7 beta 3 will release between 30th~6th (Can be +- 2 days). After beta 3 there’d be 2~3 more beta builds at max. S23/22/21/A series won’t have any beta program.” The better news is that the stable release looks broadly on schedule. “Stable rollout schedule will be announced at unpacked, 22nd Jan (most probably Feb 1st~2nd week).”
Android Authority reported the “bad news” with this “new One UI 7 beta rumor here to dampen your Christmas spirits… If this information is accurate, this would be a highly irregular One UI beta program from Samsung. The lack of beta software for older Galaxy flagships will also not sit well with users who are already upset about Samsung’s delayed Android 15 rollout.”
This is a shame. Samsung’s spin on Android 15 is excellent.And while it won’t appeal to all die-hard Samsung and Android fans, as I’ve reported separately, the shift towards maximum restrictions as a default, clamping down on sideloading. and dangerous wireless and physical connections, and tighter controls over the ecosystem is all very welcome given the worsening threat landscape. At least from a security and privacy perspective, Samsung is doing a good job of closing the gap (to an extent) to iPhone and setting itself apart from Pixel.
As with all leaks there’s a serious word of caution here. As Android Authority says, “it’s important to note that other more reliable Samsung leakers are yet to corroborate this rumor.” I have approached Samsung for any comments on the leak or confirmation as to changes to its plans.
When One UI 7 does turn up for your phone, whether in beta or the stable release which is set to coincide with the Galaxy S25 in a few weeks, it will be a game-changer for your phone. While Samsung took some serious flak for the delays, it seems worth the wait. And you should familiarize yourself with Samsung’s and Google’s own Android security and privacy updates when you install.
Samsung says that with One UI 7 it “enhances security and privacy in the age of AI, giving users greater transparency and choice,” and I think that’s fair. The timing is right for this. You will likely have seen multiple stories over recent weeks as AI-powered threats start to make take a heavy toll on the mobile security landscape. Whether that means more realistic phishing expeditions or malware that has been AI-enhanced to evade detection, the results are not good for users.
Android 15 and One UI 7 will help, especially with live threat detection and tighter controls over installations, downloads and permission abuse. As such, the lack of a beta (if true) is manageable. What matters more is the timely availability of the stable release for your device.