These Samsung Galaxy tablets are in their last year of software support
These tablets are the last ones released before Samsung's more generous support policy.
Samsung has come a long way in delivering faster updates and providing longer software support for its devices compared to past years. Samsung is now one of the few Android manufacturers that offers a generously long software support policy, with recent flagship models benefiting from seven years of OS and security updates. Not every tablet Samsung has sold in previous years enjoys that kind of longevity, though.
Major Android updates are concluding soon for the Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra, S9 FE and S9 FE+. These tablets will receive the One UI 9 update, which is based on Android 17. The Galaxy Tab S9 series arrived in 2023 running One UI 5.1, with Samsung promising four generations of major OS updates and five years of security patches. They should continue to receive security updates until sometime in 2028.
The Galaxy Tab S8, S8+ and S8 Ultra have already received their final major OS upgrade with One UI 8, based on Android 16. Security updates should continue until February 2027. Android 16 is also the last major update for the Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+. Despite being a bit newer, the Galaxy Tab A9 series has already received its final major OS update, likely because it was a budget-oriented offering, though it will still receive another year of security updates.
What about newer Samsung tablets?
Fortunately, newer Galaxy Tab models come with longer software support cycles. Samsung began its seven-year software update policy with the Galaxy Tab S10 series and newer flagship models. Surprisingly, even budget devices released more recently are eligible for seven years of Android and security updates. If you are buying from the current catalog of tablets, software updates will not be dropped anytime soon.
Rugged tablets sold under the Galaxy Tab Active lineup, which are marketed primarily towards business and enterprise customers, have different software update policies. The Galaxy Tab Active5 was launched with a four-year commitment to Android OS updates and five years of security updates. Since it shipped with Android 14, it should be good for updates through Android 18, with security patches continuing until 2029.
Rollout schedules vary depending on the specific tablet model and region. Users can check for Android or security updates on a Samsung tablet by navigating through the device settings menu to find available installation packages.
