Samsung’s first Android 15 and One UI 7 beta is set to get a release as soon as July 29, according to Max Jambor, a reliable Samsung tipster.
What’s notable about the Android 15 beta is just how big it is. According to rumors, we’re expecting several UI and feature changes, including new icons, home screen and lock screen changes, a revamped camera UI, and a version of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island.
Jambor expects the beta to be released on Monday, July 29, around two weeks ahead of schedule. Last year’s One UI 6 beta came out on August 11. This lines up with earlier rumors that the update would be out before the end of July. Naturally, the first users to get it will be in the U.S. and Korea.
To be clear, this isn’t a general rollout. The beta is more for developers and early adopters. Expect to see several beta releases in the coming month, with the full release coming to regular use in September or October. The Samsung devices that are likely first in line for the update are the Galaxy S24 series and the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. Expect older generations to start getting the Android 15 update in reverse order.
With that in mind, it’s worth remembering that these release dates aren’t set in stone. In the past, including last year, Samsung has delayed its beta updates even after announcing a release date. Google also has yet to finalize Android 15 as a whole, with the fourth beta hitting Pixel phones on July 18, with some changes and bug fixes.
As for the Android 15/One UI 7 update itself, there have been some fairly substantial leaks from Ice Universe, including news about easier Bluetooth controls, partial screen sharing, a notification cooldown, better PDF experiences, more reliable NFC, and satellite connectivity. It’s also worth clarifying that despite being inspired by the iPhone’s Dynamic Island, Samsung isn’t really copying it, according to Ice Universe.
One UI 7 has no dynamic island
It just has an ellipse icon on the status bar for prompting. In One UI 6, there was only a call display. In One UI 7, other functions have been added, such as stopwatch and recording. I think the expansion of this smart function is not imitating… pic.twitter.com/26tKlax2a2— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) July 25, 2024
Instead, Samsung will be placing more of an ellipse icon on the status bar, which will show things like stopwatch and recording time, so it’s not quite as fully featured or dynamic as Apple’s Dynamic Island.
We’re also expecting the new Pixel 9 models to come running Android 15 out of the box when they’re announced at the Made by Google event on August 13, so Samsung users can expect to get an early look at what to expect on their devices soon.
