Summary

  • The Galaxy S21 series moves from monthly to quarterly updates, winding down support.
  • This change will affect the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.
  • The Galaxy S21 series was promised 4 years of updates, which means One UI 7 will be the last major update.

While Samsung has promised to provide seven years of updates for some of its latest devices, those that are still holding on to Galaxy S21 series phones may now start to feel the heat a little as the brand has now transitioned the lineup from monthly to quarterly updates.

A photo of a Galaxy S24 Ultra with an Amfilm screen protector


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This change was spotted by the folks at 9to5Google, with the news appearing on the Samsung Mobile Security website. As far as what this change entails, well, it just means that Samsung is going to start winding down work on the Galaxy S21 series, providing updates every quarter.

The tipping point

This will affect the Galaxy S21, S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. But it will not have an effect on the Galaxy S21 FE, which was released a little later and is on a different schedule. Now, this shouldn’t come as a complete shock, but as devices tend to age, they eventually get less attention, and fewer updates.

The good news is that the Galaxy S21 series was promised to receive up to four years updates, which means it will get an update to One UI 7. One UI 7 wasn’t a traditional release by Samsung, coming much later than expected. But, it appears that the wait was well worth it for Samsung owners, as the update has seen rave reviews.

Not only does it bring a visual overhaul, but it also packs in lots of features that are actually worth using. So that’s something Galaxy S21 users should definitely be on the lookout for. Of course, if this news puts you on shaky ground, then we would recommend trading in and upgrading to the latest that Samsung offers with the Galaxy S25 series.

Right now, you’re going to get the most value for your trade in, which could make the move worthwhile. With that said, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with the Galaxy S21 series, since it’s just the start of this new transition.