Summary
- Samsung’s Android 16-based One UI 8 may come preloaded on the next Galaxy foldables, likely followed by older Galaxy devices.
- This means One UI 8 could be available sometime in July 2025, while Google will roll out Android 16 to Pixel devices in June.
- If true, this potentially means Samsung’s foldables will be the first devices to come with One UI 8 out of the box, while the Pixel 10 is expected to release a month later in August.
While most major Android smartphone makers have nearly concluded the rollout of their Android 15 updates, Samsung is an exception. The company’s One UI 7 beta was hit with significant delays, although the Galaxy S25 launched with the new software onboard. But this left older devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 6/Z Flip 6, as well as the Galaxy S24 series, still waiting to see the brand-new update.Fortunately, things could be different with One UI 8, as we’ve already learned from a couple of leaks so far. Now, a fresh report over the weekend offers a tentative timeline for the arrival of Samsung’s next big software release.
According to insiders cited by SamMobile, One UI 8 will come preloaded on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7. With this in mind, the publication posits that older Galaxy devices, such as the Galaxy S25, Z Fold 6/Flip 6, Galaxy S24, etc., could pick up the One UI 8 update shortly after.
Assuming Samsung sticks with the same July timeline for the release of its foldables, we’re just about three months away from the official debut of One UI 8. It’s worth noting that One UI 7 stable will start rolling out tomorrow (April 7), with the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6/Flip 6 being the first devices to get it. A broader release of One UI 7, including in the US, will begin on April 10.
Could Samsung’s foldables be the first to run Android 16 out of the box?
The timing of this expected One UI 8 release date also makes sense considering Google’s June 2025 launch timeline for Android 16 stable, with the software already in the latter stages of the beta cycle. SamMobile could not confirm if Samsung would conduct a beta for One UI 8, though we’d be surprised if there wasn’t one.
But we know courtesy of a recent test build that Samsung is already testing One UI 8 on the Galaxy S25, so the stars are pretty much aligned for a July 2025 release of the next big software update, unless something changes along the way.
If this report is accurate, Samsung’s upcoming foldables could be the first to launch with Android 16 out of the box. Recent developments suggest that Google will debut the Pixel 10 series in August, much like the Pixel 9 last year. While this would only give Samsung devices a few weeks of software exclusivity, it would be a nice way to compensate for all the delays during the One UI 7 beta process.
