Samsung is unexpectedly bringing the Galaxy S25 series, Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 up to date
A (partial) South Korean One UI 9 rollout is obviously not a global update, but it is an important first step in the right direction for these 2025-released Samsung high-enders.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25 Plus are finally receiving their next big OS update... in South Korea. | Image by PhoneArena
It's safe to say that the stable One UI 9 rollout hasn't gone very well in its first couple of weeks after the official completion of Samsung's public beta program, but it sure looks like the world's top smartphone vendor is trying to turn over a new leaf today.
In addition to the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, which are (very slowly) expanding their Android 17-based updates in the US, the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 are somewhat surprisingly joining the party... in one key market.
Where is One UI 9 live right now?
If you're expecting the answer to that question to require a list with a bunch of bullet points, I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. The only place where the five aforementioned 2025-released high-end handsets are reportedly ready to leave One UI 8 behind is South Korea, and even there, it appears the updates are currently exclusively available for former public beta testers.
Because of that, the goodie packs that are making their way over the air as we speak only tip the scales at around 500MB, compared to the multi-gigabyte updates most Galaxy S25 series, Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 owners are likely to receive... sooner or later.
When should you expect your phone to be upgraded in other countries?
Unfortunately, my answer to that question is nowhere near as optimistic as the answer to a similar question for the Galaxy S26 family less than two weeks ago. And the reason is precisely the S26 trio, which hasn't scored official One UI 9 add-ons and performance enhancements anywhere besides South Korea and the US just yet.
What do you think of Samsung's One UI 9 rollout so far?
6 Votes
Perhaps my biggest concern is that Samsung hasn't addressed that delay in any way and is basically acting like everything is going according to plan, which is very obviously not the case. The original "plan", for instance, was for the Galaxy S25 trio and Galaxy Z7 duo to follow the lead of the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra today in Thailand, and while it might seem that's still possible, you have to remember the nation's S26 series hasn't been upgraded to One UI 9 for the time being.
In short, if I were to make a prediction right now, I'd expect the S26 family's One UI 9 rollout to finally go global today, while the S25 lineup, Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 could be kept waiting until the end of the week or even the beginning of next week. But those are only (semi) educated guesses on my part, mind you, and they should be treated accordingly.
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