Introduction
Android 15 will be the talk of the town in the second half of 2024 as the latest major update to the world's most popular mobile operating system. Like every new version of Android, Google gave users their first glimpse at Android 15 by way of a developer preview, which was released on February 17 for select Pixel smartphones.
The full reveal of Android 15 will likely take place at Google's 2024 I/O conference and the internet giant will allow regular users to beta test the new operating system version before the final release.
Google's Android beta program will not cover Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets, however. Samsung will launch a separate beta program at a later date and will include its own additions and improvements through its One UI overlay.
Best Android 15 features
As of February 2024, Google has not revealed everything that is new in Android 15, but it did lay out some of the changes that will be part of the package. With Android 15, Google is focusing on increased user privacy in apps and websites that serve ads through a newer version of the Privacy Sandbox initiative.
Google is also updating Android's screen recorder feature with the ability to record contents in a specific app instead of the entire user interface. App pairs, which are shortcuts to two apps that can be used to instantly launch them in Multi Window mode, something Samsung has long offered on its devices, will become a native Android feature with version 15.
Android 15 has new APIs that will help developers optimize their apps for better performance and lower power consumption. For photo and video capture, third-party apps will get deeper control over a device's camera hardware so it can take advantage of features that the device's built-in camera app offers and also offer higher image and video quality.
Android 15 on Samsung devices
Samsung's custom software is included with every new Android release, and Android 15 will be accompanied by One UI 7. As always, Samsung will add new features and improvements not available in stock Android 15, while some will be skipped, especially those that are already available on Galaxy devices.
Samsung will likely not provide information on One UI 7 before August 2024 if its timeline for previous major OS upgrades is taken into account.
Android 15 beta for Samsung devices
Samsung has run beta tests for every new version of One UI since its original release back in 2018, and it will be no different with One UI 7. Samsung's beta program will allow users in select countries to test Android 15 and One UI 7 and provide feedback that goes into making the final release as stable as possible. The beta program will go live sometime in the second half of the year.
Which Samsung devices will get Android 15
Several Galaxy smartphones and tablets will be eligible for Android 15. Those will include almost every device that launched running Android 13, as Samsung provides a minimum of two major OS upgrades for most devices, along with flagship and mid-range phones that launched in 2021 or later and are eligible for four major OS upgrades.
The following devices should get Android 15 (this isn't an exhaustive list and may change in the coming months):
Galaxy S series
- Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Galaxy S24+
- Galaxy S24
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S23+
- Galaxy S23
- Galaxy S23 FE
- Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Galaxy S22+
- Galaxy S22
- Galaxy S21 FE
- Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Galaxy S21+
- Galaxy S21
Galaxy Z series
- Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Galaxy Z Flip 6
- Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Galaxy Z Fold 4
- Galaxy Z Flip 4
- Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Galaxy Z Flip 3
Galaxy A series
- Galaxy A73
- Galaxy A55
- Galaxy A54
- Galaxy A53
- Galaxy A35
- Galaxy A34
- Galaxy A33
- Galaxy A25
- Galaxy A24
- Galaxy A23
- Galaxy A15 (LTE+5G)
- Galaxy A14 (LTE+5G)
Galaxy Tab series
- Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
- Galaxy Tab S9 FE
- Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (Wi-Fi/5G)
- Galaxy Tab S9+ (Wi-Fi/5G)
- Galaxy Tab S9 (Wi-Fi/5G)
- Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra (Wi-Fi/5G)
- Galaxy Tab S8+ (Wi-Fi/5G)
- Galaxy Tab S8 (Wi-Fi/5G)
- Galaxy Tab A9
- Galaxy Tab A9+
- Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro
- Galaxy Tab Active 5
Galaxy F series
Galaxy M series
Galaxy C series
Galaxy Xcover series
- Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro
- Galaxy Xcover 7