Samsung gives a huge free update to Galaxy phones | Tech News

Samsung Galaxy phones are the preferred Android smartphones on the planet, recurrently tussling with Apple’s iPhone to be the bestselling model globally. In latest years, Samsung has additionally acquired higher at offering for much longer software program assist for its handsets than it did beforehand.

This is great to see. It means when you buy the Galaxy S26, launched in 2026, it’ll get seven years of updates to take you all the way in which to 2033.

The S26 launched earlier this 12 months with Samsung’s One UI 8.5, its latest software program model primarily based on Android 16. It builds on the older model of One UI 8 by bringing new instruments and options reminiscent of AI picture enhancing, Audio Broadcast to beam audio to surrounding units, Storage Share to make it simpler to ship recordsdata between your Samsung devices, plus improved Threat Protection smarts, and more visible tweaks to the consumer interface.

One UI 8.5 has been unique to the Galaxy S26 till now. Samsung has introduced it has began to roll out the new software program to a plethora of older units beginning in Korea on May 6, and increasing to different areas together with the UK within the coming days and weeks.

It means One UI 8.5 is touchdown quickly on the Galaxy S25 sequence, Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy S24 sequence, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6. It’ll even be coming to the Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S10 pill sequence.

If you own one of these units, head to the settings app over the approaching days and test the software program update part to see if there’s an update ready to be put in.

It’s good to see the newest model get to the S24, which got here out in 2024 as the primary Samsung flagship to get seven years of updates. The S23 from 2023 was promised 4 years of updates to 2027 – so we anticipate it’ll get One UI 8.5, and different updates, a little later down the road.

Although these listed units are the primary to get the update, many more Galaxy units will get One UI 8.5 in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later, together with less expensive Galaxy A and M sequence phones. It’s not clear when all these devices will get the free upgrades.

“Samsung is expanding the One UI 8.5 rollout to more devices, bringing the latest Galaxy AI features across the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem,” Samsung mentioned. “The update focuses on enhancing communication and creative experiences on Galaxy mobile phones and tablets”.

A software program update is at all times a good factor, even when this one is comparatively minor, with no flagship new characteristic or large visible overhaul for Galaxy phones and tablets. Samsung additionally mentioned that the provision of options will depend on the precise gadget and its area.

Samsung is pushing arduous when it comes to AI. Its Galaxy AI instruments are entrance and centre once you boot up a new trendy Samsung cellphone, alongside – confusingly – Bixby instruments and Google Gemini, Google’s AI assistant.