One UI 7 Rolls Out To The Last Eligible Galaxy S Flagship

Samsung is making up for the delay in the rollout of One UI 7 by pushing the update to several of its devices ahead of its promised timeline. In the last day or so, the company has seeded the stable Android 15 firmware for the Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy S22, Z Fold 4, and Flip 4. Adding to that list, Samsung has now rolled out the One UI 7 update for the Galaxy S21 series.

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Samsung has paid attention to the little things

In typical Samsung fashion, the stable firmware is currently live in its home market, South Korea. The HYD9 firmware for the S21 weighs almost 3.5GB. Alongside the Android 15 improvements and One UI 7 changes, it also bumps the security patch to April 2025, which addresses several critical vulnerabilities.

Samsung’s release timeline suggested that the Galaxy S21 series would receive its stable Android 15 build in May. However, the company appears to be running slightly ahead of schedule, at least in Korea.

A wider release to more markets should happen in the next few days. You can keep checking Settings > Software update > Download and install, but the firmware will only show up once it’s live in your region.

While the Galaxy S24 and S23 picked up several S25 features with One UI 7, the Galaxy S21 won’t enjoy the same treatment. Its One UI 7 firmware will likely center around visual changes, especially since these phones only have access to a limited set of Galaxy AI features.

No more major OS updates for the Galaxy S21

The Galaxy S21 lineup launched in early 2021, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a promise of four major OS updates. Android 15 with One UI 7 marks the final major update for these devices, which will now only receive quarterly security patches moving forward.

It is also the oldest Galaxy S flagship to receive One UI 7; Galaxy S20 and older Samsung flagships are not compatible with Android 15.

Since One UI 7 is a major update, the next couple of firmware releases may focus on addressing any lingering bugs. Beyond that, future builds for Samsung’s 2021 flagship phones will mostly center on addressing security vulnerabilities, with little else expected. This cycle will continue until January 2026, when software support for the phone officially ends.