Samsung's One UI 7 launch continues to be messy

After months of delays, Samsung finally rolled out the stable One UI 7 update to Galaxy S24 phones globally starting April 7 — only to pause the update just a week later. The latest delay has to do with a bug that prevented Galaxy S24 users from unlocking their phones. While it looks like the issue was predominantly affecting units in Samsung's home market, the manufacturer paused the global rollout just to be on the safe side.

It's frustrating that Samsung is continuing to run into issues on the stable One UI 7 build, considering the brand ran a lengthy four-month beta testing program that was meant to iron out these problems. I understand the need to be cautious with these things — particularly if it affects something as basic as unlocking a phone — but Samsung should have done a better job addressing these issues well before it got to the stable release.

I reached out to Samsung for a statement regarding the delay, and the brand noted that the "rollout schedule is being updated to ensure the best possible experience." In typical Samsung fashion, it didn't answer what caused the delay, when the update might start going out to phones again, and what it is doing to prevent any additional roadblocks.

Thankfully, there are no issues on devices where One UI 7 comes pre-installed. The Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, and A56 debuted with the Android 15-based build, and having used the software on the A56 extensively, I didn't run into any bugs or crashes. It's clear that all the lingering issues have to do with upgrading phones running One UI 6 and older to the latest iteration of the software.

As to why that's the case, Samsung made considerable changes to One UI 7; as I outlined in my review, the update is packed with new features, including a cleaner visual design, vertical app drawer, split notification pane, overhauled camera interface, better image and video editing features, changes to battery management, security updates, and a suite of new AI additions.

While Samsung used a point release last year to integrate some of these changes — debuting One UI 6.1.1 down the line — it is bundling all the new features into a single release with One UI 7, and that may have also contributed to the extended beta testing program and incessant delays with the stable rollout.

Samsung wouldn't confirm when it would resume rolling out One UI 7 to Galaxy S24 devices globally, nor would it say when users in India might receive the update. While the update started going out to phones in South Korea, U.S., U.K., and select western markets, Samsung India didn't even announce plans to deliver One UI 7 to customers using its flagships in the country yet.

In a similar vein, there's no telling when Samsung's older mid-range phones might get the update — with global Galaxy S24 units and Z Fold 6 yet to make the switch, it will be a considerable wait before Samsung's 2024 and older devices make the move to One UI 7. While I like the update as such, the constant delays and bugs is reminiscent of the OxygenOS 12 debacle — albeit with greater consequences.