Android 16 is finally arriving for Galaxy phones and tablets with a release schedule that will last at least until November.
The latest iteration of Google’s mobile operating system isn’t a huge update like the iPhone’s iOS 26, but it does deliver the Material Expressive 3 overhaul. Additionally, One UI 7 was Samsung’s big overhaul of its Android skin, with One UI 8 acting more as a refinement update, since it arrives just six months after that software release.
New features include an expansion of Now Bar and Now Brief to more devices, improved multitasking, AI-powered Portrait Studio, and a new Quick Panel design on Galaxy Tabs.
Here are the Samsung devices that will receive Android 16 in the coming weeks, or that already have access to it:
Out of the box
The initial rollout of One UI 8, based on Android 16, started on September 15, with some newer devices already having the update out of the box.
This year’s S25 lineup was the first to receive the Android 16 update as part of the global rollout.
Galaxy S series phone gets Android 16
As mentioned, Android 16 already rolled out to S25 phones last month. Last year’s Galaxy S24 phones started receiving the update in late September, according to Samsung watchers like Tarun tanks.
Samsung officially declared its S22 handsets and the Galaxy S21 FE will receive One UI 8, but the update has not yet been spotted. Meanwhile, the S23 range is now expected to see the update.
Given how the rollout has apparently gone so far, I think older handsets will receive the One UI 8 update in October or early November at the latest.
Foldable phones
As mentioned, the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 come with Android 16. The older Galaxy foldable devices are expected to be updated in October and November based on the current schedule.
Galaxy A handsets
Some of Samsung’s mid-range A-series phones are planned for One UI 8, with the Galaxy A56 getting it first. The deployment on these phones seems to be done by individual model rather than by series.
The Galaxy A56 received Android 16 in September, followed by the A36 and A55, while the A26 should be able to download the update in October.
Galaxy Tab S tablets
A host of Galaxy Tab S tablets are receiving the update, with the Tab S11 and S11 Ultra just released with Android 16/One UI 8 pre-installed.
Most of these are expected to be updated in October, with the Tab S8 families scheduled for November.
According to the information we have seen from Samsung and Samsung watchers, the above devices are expected to have Android 16 and One UI 8 but in the first week of November.
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