The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, the latest Samsung foldables, launched in July 2024 running Android 14 and version 6.1.1 of One UI. Since then, they have received regular security updates from Samsung. But for some reason, they are not getting any Google Play system updates.
For those unaware, Google releases Google Play system updates for all Android devices to make them more secure and reliable by updating key core elements of the Android operating system and important Google services such as the Play Store.
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New Google Play system updates often come bundled with Samsung's security updates. They don't always come with the latest version, though, which is why Google offers the option to manually update to the latest Play system update.
Galaxy devices older than Fold 6 and Flip 6 have newer Google Play system updates
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, however, still have the April 2024 Google Play system update. Newer versions were not included in any of the foldables' post-launch software updates. They aren't available for manual download, either.
What's ironic is that older Galaxy devices have received newer Google Play system updates in addition to all of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6's software features. Those software features were made available to older flagships through the One UI 6.1.1 update.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 received Google Play's June system update with One UI 6.1.1. Devices like the Galaxy S23 and S24 got the August version. But that's not all: on most of these devices, users can manually grab Google Play's September system update by heading into the Settings » About phone » Software information menu and tapping on Google Play system update.
It's unclear why the Fold 6 and Flip 6 are on outdated versions of the Google Play system update. These updates aren't as critical as the security updates that come from Samsung. But it's not a good look when a company's latest flagships aren't running the latest software in every manner possible.
This isn't the first time a Galaxy smartphone has missed out on the latest Google Play system updates, and you shouldn't let it stop you from buying a Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Flip 6 if you were planning to do so. They may fall behind on Google Play system updates, but they are getting regular updates from Samsung and will continue to do so for the next seven years.
