Latest news with #GalaxyS21
Phone Arena
05-05-2025
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile users with old Samsung phones get the notification they were waiting for but be careful
Samsung clearly tested the patience of its customers with the Android 15-based One UI 7 update. As if it wasn't enough that it was already six months behind schedule, the company delayed the update another week after kicking off the rollout in early April. Fortunately for customers, it has been smooth sailing since. The update has started reaching T-Mobile customers with older Samsung phones or phones purchased through a telecom company usually receive software updates later than unlocked phones or those that aren't tied to a specific carrier. That's because after a smartphone company concludes its testing, carriers start their optimization and customization process. One exception to this was a few days ago when the May update reached carrier-locked Galaxy S25 models before their unlocked counterparts. We can't confirm whether this was also true for T-Mobile models. T-Mobile has been pretty swift as far as One UI 7 is concerned. The company started deploying the update to owners of last-gen flagships around ten days after Samsung resumed the rollout. T-Mobile has started pushing One UI 7 to Galaxy S21 and S22 owners. | Image Credit - Black_Dragon959 And now, merely three days after the update went live for older unlocked models, it has started hitting T-Mobile devices. The update is arriving on the Galaxy S21 and S22. And we wouldn't be surprised if we heard that it was live for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Flip 3 as well. Samsung's One UI 7 is a major update with many visual enhancements and AI features. This probably explains why it took Samsung longer than expected to commence the rollout. There have been widespread reports of the update tanking the battery life on some models, so you may want to hold off on installing it if you suspect this might be a buggy update. That said, this often happens when a new operating system version is downloaded and the battery life goes back to normal within a week or two.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Forbes
New Samsung Update Spells End For Millions Of Galaxy Phones
After an unexpected halt earlier in April, Samsung is now rolling out One UI 7 to several Galaxy devices. For the Galaxy S21 series, it likely means the end of the line. The rollout started in March with the S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip 6 and has been making its way to older flagships, stopping at the S21. While the update brings new AI features to millions of Samsung devices, it also represents the final Android update for the Galaxy S21 series. Almost all flagship devices released before 2024 are eligible for four major Android OS updates, compared to the seven updates for flagships released after 2024 (the Galaxy S24 and S25 series). The Galaxy S21's four years are now up, just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S20, which lost all support this year. The 2021 Galaxy phone will continue to receive security patches. But it was recently downgraded from monthly to quarterly updates, which is a clear sign that the end is nigh. Being downgraded to quarterly updates has put a 12-month clock on Galaxy handsets in the past. The Galaxy S9 and S10 followed this path. I would guess that your Galaxy S21 will be dropped from updates this time next year, although Samsung has been known to issue a stay of execution to some devices randomly. I wouldn't rely on this, though. Now is the time to upgrade, not just because of the update situation, but also because the Galaxy S21 still fetches a high trade-in price at Samsung. In recent sales, the Korean company has valued the Galaxy S21 Ultra at $300, rising to $600 when buying the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The best time to sell your Galaxy S21 was likely at some point in 2024, before it moved into its final update year. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example, is valued at $500. Samsung is racing to get AI into as many hands as possible. Despite the public's reservation about how useful these features are, with some suing Apple over its Apple Intelligence ability claims, the Korean company has extended a version of AI to cheaper and older devices. Galaxy A models received their own, watered down, 'awesome intelligence' update in April. While the Galaxy S21 has received a handful of new AI-powered abilities via Circle To Search last year. One UI 7 brings tools like AI Select, Writing Assist, Drawing Assist, and deeper Google Gemini integration to eligible phones. But the Galaxy S21 series won't get any Galaxy AI features, Samsung tells me. Over on Reddit, some Galaxy S21 owners who received the early update have confirmed that the AI tools can't be found. With the Galaxy S21 in the sunset of its lifecycle, that is unlikely to change.
News18
23-04-2025
- News18
Samsung Extends Free Screen Replacement Offer For Galaxy Phones: Here's The Reason
Samsung users are facing green line issues with their phone's screen and the company is trying its best to fix the issue for all its users with its change. Samsung is finally making a big change to help its customers. The green line display issue has been a major area of concern for several smartphone brands. Most of the lines are caused by either faulty hardware or software updates, prompting some manufacturers to offer screen replacement offers. Now, after hearing several complaints from users, Samsung has extended the one-time free screen replacement offer for green line-affected Galaxy smartphones. The Samsung's free display change was originally valid until December last year for select models. But now it seems the company has extended the offer until September 30, 2025. So, if you have a Galaxy phone with the green line problem, you can take it to the repair centre and get it replaced for free. According to tipster Tarun Vats, Samsung's customer service has extended the deadline and the ongoing eligibility for free screen replacements in India. But it seems the offer is limited to the Galaxy S21 and S22 Ultra series models. We have reached out to the company for more details and will update when we hear back. The mobile giant has not disclosed the full list of eligible devices for this extended phase of one-time free screen replacement. However, it is expected that other flagship Galaxy devices will also be covered under this policy. Several users of the Galaxy S21 series (including FE) and Galaxy S22 Ultra, as per SammyGuru, have reported the green line issue, which shows vertically on the phone's display. While the actual cause is unknown, many customers began experiencing the issue following software updates. free screen replacements for phones with a green line problem. Google Pixel phone users are facing the same issue, but the company offer free repairs for the latest models only. Many Apple users, particularly those using the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max models, have also noticed a green screen issue, often accompanied by flickering or vertical lines. First Published: April 22, 2025, 12:25 IST
