Samsung Galaxy S21 series debuted in 2021 and the devices have been receiving monthly updates until now, when Samsung has discontinued providing updates on such a schedule. The Galaxy S21 series will now receive updates on a quarterly basis. However, the S21 FE is still set to receive monthly updates.
Samsung has updated its Security Updates Work Scope page, stating that the Galaxy S21 series monthly updates schedule has been switched to a quarterly schedule. This means that, going forward, the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra will only receive updates four times a year. The Galaxy S21 FE is still reported to get monthly updates, likely because it launched months after the Galaxy S21 series debuted.
The change is nothing out of the ordinary as the brand regularly demotes older models to a less frequent update cycle. The Galaxy S21 series should get One UI 7 as their last major update due to their update cycle reaching its EOL.
Meanwhile, beginning with the Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy flagships are all set to receive updates up to 7 years, which includes both security patches and major Android OS updates.
In related news to Samsung, the Galaxy S25 series launched with One UI 7 while the older models, including the Galaxy S24 series, should begin to get their One UI 7 update starting later this month. One UI 7 comes packed with a whole new set of AI features as well as revamped animations across the system.
One UI 7 comes with Now Bar which seamlessly integrates your everyday actions and most-used apps into your lock screen. Samsung created a Personal Data Engine for Galaxy users, which a powerful privacy advancement that ensures on-device, cross-app personal data protection. Personalized data of users is stored in a secure space, safeguarded by an Encryption key that’s managed by Knox Vault. That’s the same trusted platform used to secure the most sensitive information on your smartphone, such as your biometric data.
