This is out of step with normal proceedings. In previous years Samsung has worked to integrate the newest Android version into its latest Galaxy devices as soon as it’s available. This has been shortly after Google releases its flagship Pixel phones for the year, which happened in October.
It’s now December and the Galaxy S24 line up is still running Android 14 with Samsung’s One UI 6.1 software. But the company has just revealed that there is a way owners of the S24 phones in the UK can get hold of Android 15 a little earlier than was previously thought, and there’s one simple trick you need to know to be able to get hold of it today.
“The One UI 7 beta program will be first available for Galaxy S24 series devices in the UK from December 5. Galaxy S24 series users can apply to join the beta program via Samsung Members”, Samsung said in a press release.
We checked on our S24 Ultra and the pop up had not appeared yet.
One UI 7 is Samsung’s version of Android 15 for its Galaxy phones and brings several new features as well as an updated look and feel to app icons, widgets and the quick settings panel.
In fact, Samsung claims the new software has a whole “new notification system” that you can access from your lock screen. The big new thing here is called the Now Bar that is meant to show you recent activity in apps like Interpreter, Music, Recording, Stopwatch and more. This new bar offers access to notifications, which Samsung says is meant to mean you don’t have to unlock your phone as often as before in order to see relevant information.
“One UI 7 reduces visual clutter and fosters an inviting experience designed to resonate with users on a personal level and enable intuitive mobile experiences across AI features,” Samsung said. This is welcome, as Android can be a busy operating system at times, and Samsung phones can sometimes overwhelm with the amount of information shown.
“A simplified home screen, redesigned One UI widgets, and lock screen—among other features—work together to grant users granular control over every detail and make customisation intuitive and seamless.”
If you can get hold of the new software on your S24 you’ll also be able to enjoy a redesigned camera app with improved controls. Samsung is also continuing its push into AI with its Galaxy AI features. Many of these are already live and available on the S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra but with One UI 7, Samsung says you’ll get more advanced writing assist tools that’ll better help you edit your messages, as well as summarise emails and other content, check your spelling and grammar and format notes into bullet points.
Other goodies in the Android 15 update include a new Knox Matrix dashboard, part of Samsung’s Knox-branded security tools. There’s also better data protection, including the ability to block 2G service if you want, in order to “prevent data from being intercepted when connected to potentially unsafe networks”.
If you’ve got an S24, head to the Samsung Members apps (available only through the Galaxy app store) and see if you’re able to download it. Bear in mind this is beta software, which means there may be a few bugs that stop things working properly. You might want to wait until the official full public release is available in 2025.