Samsung’s extended 7-year OS updates guarantee is in effect, but the One UI 8.5 rollout is almost denied for the 2022 flagship devices. Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS 27 announcement reiterated that it is still the software support king in 2026.

In the year 2019, Apple and Samsung introduced the iPhone 11 series, and the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 series, respectively. Even though the lineups launched in the same year, their software support story is incomparable.

iOS 27 supports iPhones from 2019

Apple confirmed iOS 27 update for iPhones released in 2019 and later. The list remains the same as the iOS 26 support, almost extending the support by a year for the aged models. You can check the full iOS 27 compatibility list here.

iPhone 11 series, which landed in the year 2019, is eligible for the latest iOS 27 update. The complete list comprises around 29 iPhone models, spanning iPhone SE (2nd gen) to the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max.

iOS 27 introduces speed gains across key aspects of the system. Apple specified massive gains in AirDrop sharing speed and app launches. The availability of features and improvements will vary by model (hardware) and region.

Samsung’s 2022 flagship denied One UI 8.5

Samsung has excluded its 2022 flagships, including the Galaxy S22 series, Z Fold 4, and Z Flip 4, from the One UI 8.5 eligibility chart. One UI 8.5 is built on Android 16, and the excluded devices also run the same OS version.

Even though One UI 8.5 is a mid-cycle upgrade, the Korean company is gatekeeping the version from the most deserving models. It’s a massive disappointment for users who are still rocking Samsung flagships from 2022.

The difference is clear: Apple is supporting its 2019 iPhone in 2026, while Samsung has limited its 2022 Galaxy flagships to just security updates.

Samsung stretched its software and OS support in the year 2024. Galaxy flagships, including the Galaxy S24 series and later, are guaranteed for 7 years of OS updates. The policy is crystal clear and deserves praise, but not for older lineups.

Samsung has new firmware updates for its smartwatch portfolio. While users are busy exploring One UI 8.5, Samsung has started pushing the May 2026 Wear OS update to its smartwatch lineup, starting with Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 7.

Galaxy Watch models receive new firmware updates once a quarter. Samsung strictly follows its Watch Update Mechanism to deliver timely releases. The latest update follows the March rollout, which brought the February patch.

May 2026 Wear OS update is available on these models:

1. Galaxy Watch 8 [AZE1]
2. Galaxy Watch 8 Classic
3. Galaxy Watch 7 [BZE1]

The rollout began on June 8 in South Korea, covering the two recent Watch ranges. Remaining lineups, including the Galaxy Watch 6, Watch 5, and Watch 4, should be joining the party over the next couple of days.

What’s new in Watch firmware

Samsung announced it addressed 39 vulnerability items in its May 2026 package. Those vulnerabilities were linked to Android and One UI; meanwhile, the content may differ on smartwatch models.

Apart from fixes, Samsung updates usually clean the system cache and unnecessary files. OTAs also optimize the overall system stability and reliability. As a result, Galaxy users have a better experience with health tracking.

How to update your Galaxy Watch

You can update your Watch’s firmware through Galaxy Wearable or the smartwatch itself. I prefer installing OTAs using the Galaxy Wearable app as it’s seamless and ensures that everything goes perfect while installation.

To update the watch, open the Wearable app, followed by Watch settings. Now tap Watch software update so your watch finds a new firmware. Follow the on-screen instructions if the system delivers an update to your watch.

Samsung’s Google Play system update rollout streak has just hit 7 in 2026. After a long delay in the latter half of 2025, the company resumed an active distribution in February 2026, with subsequent months getting more updates.

The latest June 2026 Play system update still dates back to May 2026. Google has detailed the June 2026 Play system update, but the release hasn’t started yet. The update comes without a changelog, so the changes applied are unknown.

Samsung stops Google Play system update rollout in One UI Beta Program. This is because of the optimization state of the operating system. Once the program ends, the deployment continues across Galaxy devices.

2025 was very busy due to continuous software rollouts. Samsung was busy testing One UI 8.0 Beta and One UI 8.5 Beta. As soon as the One UI 8.5 went live, the company kicked off the One UI 9 Beta Program, again stopping updates.

As of June 2026, Samsung phones have received 7 Google Play system update releases. The year’s first update dropped in February, while April and May welcomed two builds each. June is a step ahead with two rollouts in the first week itself.

You can check the latest version on your Samsung device. Open Settings > Security and Privacy > Updates. Tap Google Play system to check the latest installed build and check if a new version is available for download.

Google system services updates make your Android devices more secure and reliable, and give you new and useful features. They include updates from Google to the Android operating system, Google Play Store, and Google Play services.

Samsung has released a new software update for the Galaxy A36, which installs May 2026 security patch. This is the first update for the phone after it received the stable One UI 8.5 update last month. The latest update mainly improves the phone’s security.

When Samsung rolled out One UI 8.5 for the Galaxy A36 in May 2026, it came with the April 2026 security patch instead of the newer May patch. This is quite normal, as major software updates often include an older security patch while bringing new features and improvements.

Now, Samsung has begun rolling out the May 2026 security update for the Galaxy A36. The update is live for users in India and could also be available in other countries soon. It comes with firmware version A366EXXSACZE3 and has a download size of 432.82MB (spotted via @KAILASH61229293).

May 2026 security patch fixes 36 security issues found in the previous software version. These fixes help make the phone safer and better protected from potential security risks. Although the update does not add any major new features, it improves the overall security and stability of the device.

Galaxy A36 users can easily install the update by opening Settings, then going to Software update, and tapping Download and install. If the update is available for your device, it will start downloading and installing.

Looking ahead, the Galaxy A36 will also receive One UI 9.0, Samsung’s next major software update for Galaxy smartphones. The company has not announced a release date yet, as One UI 9 is currently in the beta testing phase. Galaxy A36 users can look forward to more new features and improvements in the future.

Samsung has pushed the May 2026 security update for nine of its flagship Galaxy phones in the US. These are Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3.

The latest update is currently available for users on Verizon’s network and is expected to reach more carriers soon. The installation package size of this update is around 300 MB. It includes the May 2026 security patch to enhance security and stability.

Users of these 9 Samsung Galaxy devices can verify the May 2026 update via the One UI build version given below:

• Galaxy S23 – S911USQS7FZE3
• Galaxy S23 Plus – S916USQS7FZE3
• Galaxy S23 Ultra – S918USQS7FZE3
• Galaxy S24 – S921USQS6DZE2
• Galaxy S24 Plus – S926USQS6DZE2
• Galaxy S24 Ultra – S928USQS6DZE2
• Galaxy S21 FE  – G990USQSNIZE3
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 – F926USQSGKZE2
• Galaxy Z Flip 3 – F711USQSHKZE2

May 2026 update mainly focuses on improving security and device performance. Samsung says the update includes fixes for 39 security issues found in Android and One UI. These fixes help protect users from possible security risks and make devices safer to use.

Along with security improvements, Samsung has also updated several built-in apps. Users may notice that some apps run more smoothly after installing the update. The company has also made changes in the background to improve overall system performance.

If you own any of these Galaxy devices, you can check for the update by going to Settings >> Software update >> Download and install. Since the rollout is happening in stages, some users may receive the update before others.