Every year dozens of Galaxy devices become ineligible for future Android OS updates after they receive the promised number of OS updates. The same story follows this year, as Android 15 will be the last major OS update for many Galaxy smartphones.
In this post, I have curated a list of those Samsung Galaxy devices that will become ineligible for future OS updates after upgrading to Android 15. Go through the list to check if your device is reaching the end of support for Android updates.
Android OS updates are super exciting, as they introduce a host of new features, improvements, and UI changes that transform the user experience. However, at some point of time, your device becomes ineligible for future updates. Hence, it’s important to keep an eye on the future OS availability for your device to ensure you don’t miss out on the latest and greatest features.
Android 15 Will Be the Last OS Update for These Galaxy Phones
- Galaxy S21
- Galaxy S21+
- Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Galaxy A14
- Galaxy A14 5G
- Galaxy A05
- Galaxy A05s
- Galaxy M14 4G
- Galaxy M14 5G
- Galaxy F14 5G
This is an unofficial list that we have prepared by taking into account the software update policy for every Samsung Galaxy phone and tablet. These devices may receive Android 15 as their final OS update unless Samsung extends software support. However, in all scenarios, these devices will also get One UI 7.1 incremental update. After that, they will continue to receive security patches for a few more months or years.
The Galaxy M-series and F-series phones typically get two major Android OS updates. Hence, all those launched with Android 13 would receive Android 15 as their last OS upgrade.
As for the Galaxy A-series, Samsung provides two major OS upgrades to older devices. However, the newer models do come with a promise of four OS updates. Select Galaxy A-series phones are eligible for an impressive 4 OS updates.
All Galaxy S-series, Tab S-series, and Z-series phones launched onwards the Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 3/Flip 3, and Galaxy Tab S8 series are eligible for four years of Android OS support.
Also Read: One UI 7 Eligible Devices and Release Date
Samsung Has an Impressive Software Update Policy
Samsung has generous software update policies for its Galaxy smartphones and tablets. No other smartphone brand provides as many as four Android OS updates to its mid-range phone, but Samsung does. Several brands don’t even offer this many OS updates to their high-end devices.
One of the best things I like about Samsung is its clear-cut software update policy. Users know how many OS updates they can expect on their Galaxy devices, while many brands such as Realme, Oppo, and Xiaomi don’t tell their users about the software support for most of their smartphones. Users are left in the dark about the future Android OS availability for their devices until the official list is out, which generally arrives months after the new OS is released.
Samsung had the best software support until Google released its Pixel 8 series with a mind-blowing 7 years of OS updates. The South Korean giant didn’t take much time catching up with Google by offering the same software support for its Galaxy S24 series.
What to Expect from Android 15 (One UI 7)?
If your Galaxy device is eligible for the Android 15 upgrade, I’m sure you must be wondering about the new features it will bring. Well, Android 15 is still under development. However, Google has already announced several features of the new OS and many more have been discovered in the beta builds, promising a bigger and more exciting update than the previous two OS versions – Android 15 and Android 14.
Here are the biggest changes discovered in Android 15 so far:
Satellite Connectivity Support
Android 15 adds support for satellite connectivity. This means you’ll be able to send texts to your friends even if you don’t have cell towers nearby, as long as you have access to the open sky. The new OS supports satellite connectivity for SMS apps and preinstalled RCS apps. In other words, this feature on Android 15 will not be limited to emergency uses only.
Find My Phone Network
Find My Phone is getting a pretty significant update in the new OS. All Android 15 phones can ping each other via Bluetooth and contribute to the network to help someone find their lost device. The nearby Android device part of Find My network can pick up Bluetooth signals from the broadcasting device and upload the encrypted location details to Google’s servers, which can be decrypted by the broadcasting device owner.
Battery Health
Android 15 could bring the “Battery Health” feature, which users have been requesting for a very long time. This feature tells the remaining battery capacity – an important metric that can help users replace the battery at the right time.
Although Google hasn’t confirmed Battery Health as an upcoming feature in Android 15, we might see it in one of the upcoming beta releases.
App Archiving
The app archiving feature lets you uninstall apps while keeping the user data around. So, the next time you reinstall the app, you can continue where you left off.
Google already has the app archiving feature through the Google Play Store. This means you can archive and restore apps only through the Play Store. But Android 15 removes this restriction by allowing any apps to be archived, including those installed outside the Play Store.
Partial Screen Sharing
Partial screen sharing is a useful and privacy-focused addition to Android 15 that allows users to share and record a single app rather than the entire screen. So, you don’t have to worry even if you mistakenly open a secret app while sharing your screen.
Notification Cooldown
Android 15 introduces the “Notification Cooldown” feature to stop people from getting overwhelmed by too many notifications from the same app. This feature lowers the volume of successive notifications from the same app.
Sensitive Notifications
Android 15 brings the sensitive notifications feature to prevent malicious third-party apps from reading your OTPs. This is an important change that could save many people from OTP frauds that steal money from the bank.
Check out this post to for a more detailed look at the new features coming in Android 15. Also, don’t forget to check out our Android 15 section for the latest news and developments around the new OS.
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