A group of Samsung Galaxy tablets will enter their final major update phase during 2026, highlighting the difference between the company’s previous support policy and its newer commitment, which extends to seven years for new models.
Tab S9 devices are ending major system updates
The Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra, S9 FE, and S9 FE+ will receive the One UI 9 update based on Android 17, making it the final major operating system update for this series. The Tab S9 devices launched in 2023 with One UI 5.1 based on Android 13, under Samsung’s promise of four generations of operating system updates and five years of security patches.
According to the announced period, security updates for these devices are expected to continue until sometime in 2028. Therefore, the end of major Android upgrades does not mean that security updates will stop immediately.
Tab S8 and Tab A9 are at an earlier stage of the support cycle
The Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, and S8 Ultra, which launched in February 2022, received their final major upgrade through One UI 8 based on Android 16. Security updates are expected to continue until February 2027.
As for the Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+, which launched in October 2023, they also received their final major update with Android 16, despite their relatively recent launch. This is likely related to their status as budget devices, while they have one more year of security updates remaining.
What changed with the newer models?
Samsung began applying a seven-year policy for Android and security updates with the Galaxy Tab S10 series, launched in 2024, and continued the policy with the Tab S11 and Tab S12. Notably, the same policy also covers the budget Galaxy Tab A11 and A11+, which launched in 2025.
Rugged devices in the Galaxy Tab Active series follow a different policy. The Galaxy Tab Active5 launched in 2024 with a commitment to four years of Android system updates and five years of security updates. Since it shipped with Android 14, system support is expected to reach Android 18, with security patches continuing until 2029.
What does this mean for users?
Moving to security-only updates may matter to users who want the latest Android features, but it does not mean that the device has immediately become unusable. Updates also do not arrive on all devices at the same time; rollout schedules vary by model and region.
You can check for an update by following this path: Settings > Software update > Download and install. If a pending update appears, you can select “Install now.” The practical point to review remains verifying the device model and region before considering the absence of One UI 9 evidence that support has ended.