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Table of contents What is Android 17, and when is it coming? When is the stable release? All the phones getting the Android 17 update What you should do now Things to keep in mind about Android 17 Android 17, codenamed Cinnamon Bun, has reached platform stability. Google Pixel devices are getting it first, with a stable release expected this summer. Samsung’s One UI 9 beta is already live for the Galaxy S26 series, and Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Honor are all running early Android 17 builds on at least one flagship device. Only Google, Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Honor have officially confirmed devices so far. This article breaks down what each brand has confirmed, what is expected, and which phones will not get the update. What is Android 17, and when is it coming? Android 17 is Google’s new major annual Android release. It comes with a range of new platform features that will benefit all Android phones once their manufacturers roll them out. Key features confirmed for Android 17 include: App Bubbles: You can open any app in a floating window on top of whatever you are already doing Lock-screen widgets in a new Hub mode Redesigned Desktop Mode with better window snapping Material 3 Expressive design system rolling out across the platform Live Updates, a new notification template for real-time events like food delivery or ride tracking Session-based precise location button, giving you more control over when apps access your exact location System-level Contacts Picker with field-level consent, so you control exactly which contact details an app can see APK Signature Scheme v3.2 with quantum-resistant encryption RAW14 image format and Photo Picker grid customisation for camera apps Memory limits to shut down apps that are leaking RAM in the background The headline AI features, including Gemini Intelligence, Rambler, Create My Widget, Pause Point, and intelligent Autofill, require at least 12 GB of RAM and Gemini Nano v3. This limits the full AI experience to the Pixel 10 series, the upcoming Pixel 11, and flagships like the Galaxy S26. Older phones or mid-range devices that get Android 17 will receive the platform, but not these AI features. When is the stable release? Google has not named a specific date. The only official statement from Google, from a May 12, 2026, blog post by Patrick Shehane, the Director of Engineering for Android Camera, Video & Audio at Google, is that Android 17 will roll out to Pixel devices first this summer. Android 17 reached Platform Stability with Beta 3 on March 26, 2026, and Beta 4, the last scheduled beta, shipped April 16, 2026. Based on the Android 16 cadence, which went stable on June 10, 2025, Android Authority, BGR, and 9to5Google expect the stable Android 17 release in June 2026. That is a press projection, not a Google commitment. Google is also running a quarterly release (QPR) model alongside the main release. QPR1 Beta 1 shipped on April 23, 2026, QPR1 Beta 2 on May 6, 2026, and QPR1 Beta 3 during Google I/O on May 19, 2026. QPR1 stable is expected around September 2026, with QPR2 in Q4 2026 and QPR3 in early 2027. Here are the phones getting the Android 17 update 1. Google Pixel Google has officially confirmed Android 17 for every Tensor-powered Pixel device. The Android 17 beta has been available for Pixel phones since February 14, 2026. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro get Android 17 as their final major OS update, with support ending in October 2026. The Pixel 8 and later devices are on Google’s 7-year support window. One important caveat: Gemini Intelligence requires at least 12 GB of RAM and Gemini Nano v3. This means every eligible Pixel, except the Pixel 10 series, will get the base Android 17 platform but will miss the headline AI features. 2. Samsung Galaxy (One UI 9) Samsung officially launched the One UI 9 beta on May 13, 2026, for the Galaxy S26 series in the US, UK, Germany, South Korea, India (from May 26), and Poland. Samsung’s own newsroom states: “the full experience of One UI 9 will be introduced with upcoming Galaxy flagship devices later this year.” The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are widely reported to launch with stable One UI 9 at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, 2026. If your Galaxy is on the “Will NOT get Android 17″ row, One UI 8.5 is your final major update. 3. OnePlus (OxygenOS 17) OnePlus opened Android 17 Beta 2 for the OnePlus 15 on March 25, 2026, with Beta 3 following in April. These early builds still show “OxygenOS 16″ in About phone because they are developer-targeted Android 17 ports, not a finished OxygenOS 17 release. The full OxygenOS 17 stable is widely expected to launch in early Q4 2026, starting with the OnePlus 15. 4. Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO (HyperOS 3.3 / HyperOS 4) Xiaomi officially launched the Android 17 Developer Preview on HyperOS 3.3 on April 30, 2026, but only for the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the Leica Leitzphone, and the Xiaomi 15T Pro in global variants. Then, Xiaomi skipped HyperOS 3.2 entirely. The bulk of Android 17 for Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices will come later as HyperOS 4, expected from late Q4 2026 into 2027. 5. Motorola (Hello UI / Android 17) Motorola was the first non-Google brand to open an Android 17 beta, launching on February 25, 2026, eleven days after Google’s Beta 1 was released on February 14. The beta now covers mid-range and flagship Motorola devices across the US, India, Europe, Latin America, and Brazil. The stable Android 17 rollout from Motorola is expected in Q3 2026. 6. OPPO (ColorOS 17) OPPO officially launched Android 17 Beta 2 for the OPPO Find X9 Pro on March 25, 2026, the same day OnePlus launched it for the OnePlus 15. The two brands share engineering under the parent company BBK/Oplus. Stable ColorOS 17 is
Read MoreTable of contents Quick comparison: Samsung One UI 8 vs 8.5 vs 9 One UI 8 One UI 8.5 One UI 9 What this means for your Galaxy Samsung has released three versions of One UI in about 10 months. If you own a Galaxy phone and are trying to make sense of what changed, what update your phone currently has, and what is coming next, this guide breaks it all down. One UI 8 started rolling out in September 2025 and is now installed on hundreds of millions of Galaxy devices. One UI 8.5 first arrived on the Galaxy S26 series earlier in 2026 and began rolling out to older Galaxy phones on May 6, 2026. It is the biggest visual and AI upgrade Samsung has shipped in years. One UI 9 is still in beta as of May 2026. Here is how all three compare. Quick comparison: Samsung One UI 8 vs 8.5 vs 9 Use the table below to see the key differences at a glance, then scroll down for the full breakdown of each version. One UI 8 When it launched One UI 8 is built on Android 16. The Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 were the first devices to ship with it, announced at Galaxy Unpacked in Brooklyn, New York, on July 9, 2025, and on sale from July 25. Samsung then began the broader rollout to existing Galaxy devices on September 15, 2025. The global rollout kicked off three days later on September 18, 2025, covering markets including the US, UK, Germany, and India. The A56 and A36 received the update in Kenya and Nigeria from September 29 to 30, 2025. What phones have One UI 8 As of May 23, 2026, the One UI 8 rollout is essentially complete. Every eligible Samsung Galaxy phone has received it. The full list of supported devices includes: Galaxy S series Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge, S25 FE Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra Galaxy S21 FE Galaxy Z series (foldables) Z Fold7, Z Flip7, Z Flip7 FE Z Fold6, Z Flip6 Z Fold5, Z Flip5 Z Fold4, Z Flip4 (this is their final major OS update) The Galaxy A series (key models for the Nigerian market) A73 5G, A56 5G, A55 5G, A54 5G, A53 5G A36 5G, A35 5G, A34 5G, A33 5G A26 5G, A25 5G, A17 5G, A17, A16 5G, A16, A15 5G A07, A06 5G, A06 Galaxy Tab series Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab S10 FE, Tab S10 FE+, Tab S10 Lite Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra, S9 FE, S9 FE+ Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra Tab S6 Lite (2024), Tab A9, A9+, A11, A11+ Galaxy M / F / XCover series M56, M55, M54, M34, M16 F56, F55, F34, F16 XCover6 Pro, XCover7, XCover7 Pro, Tab Active5 Pro What One UI 8 added One UI 8 was a refinement update rather than a full visual overhaul. The biggest additions included: Now Brief and Now Bar upgrades: personalised daily updates covering traffic, reminders, and Galaxy Watch health stats. Now Bar has also gained support for more third-party apps and appeared on the Z Flip’s cover screen. Galaxy AI for large screens: drag-and-drop of AI-generated content into Multi Window, plus Drawing Assist and Writing Assist on foldables and tablets. Gemini Live on FlexWindow: voice-driven Gemini access directly from the Z Flip’s cover screen. Audio Eraser expanded: single-tap noise removal is now available in video apps, Voice Recorder, and Samsung Notes. Portrait Studio for pets: AI-generated studio photos for dogs, cats, and birds. Adaptive lock-screen clock: a new clock that wraps around faces in the wallpaper, with adjustable size and colour. Call Captions and Interpreter: live captions for noisy environments and a typing-based translation tool. Knox KEEP security and Post-Quantum Cryptography on Secure Wi-Fi. One UI 8.5 When it launched One UI 8.5 is built on Android 16 QPR2, which is a quarterly update to Android 16 rather than a brand-new Android version. Despite sharing the same Android base as One UI 8, this version carries the biggest visible changes Samsung has shipped in years. It first launched on February 25, 2026, at Galaxy Unpacked in San Francisco, where Samsung announced the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. All three phones came with One UI 8.5 pre-installed. They went on sale on March 11, 2026. Samsung began the stable rollout for older devices in South Korea on May 6, 2026. The global wave followed on May 11, covering Europe, India, North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and more. A wider expansion to the A-series and older flagships continued from May 18 to 22. What phones have One UI 8.5 As of May 23, 2026, here is where the rollout stands: Already received the stable update Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra (pre-installed at launch, March 11, 2026) Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge, S25 FE Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7, Z Flip7 FE, Galaxy Z TriFold Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6 Galaxy Z Fold5, Z Flip5 Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra, Tab S10 FE, Tab S10 FE+ Galaxy A56 5G and Galaxy A36 5G Confirmed eligible and rolling out soon Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra (rollout confirmed from May 26, 2026; this is their final major update) Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab S10 Lite, Tab S9 series, Tab S8 series Galaxy A57, A55, A54, A53, A37, A35, A34, A26, A25, A24, A17, A16, A15, A07, A06 Galaxy M56, M55, M54, M34, M16; Galaxy F-series Galaxy XCover 6 Pro, XCover 7, XCover 7 Pro, Tab Active5/5 Pro Not eligible Galaxy S21 series (non-FE), Galaxy Note 20 series Galaxy A devices older than 2023 What One UI 8.5 added One UI 8.5 is the update that makes your Galaxy look and feel meaningfully different. The changes
Read MoreConsider a Botswana-based tech consultant who travels to the United States once a year for a client meeting. She holds a B1/B2 visa, the standard route for short-term business travel. However, Botswana now sits on Washington’s visa bond list, placing a critical condition on her next visa application: before her visa is approved, she must deposit up to $15,000 with the US government. The money is refundable, eventually, but it sits frozen for the duration of her stay, earning nothing, while she still sorts visa fees, flight, and accommodation costs. That financial burden is now spreading across the continent. On April 2, the US expanded its visa bond policy. Six more African countries—Mauritius, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Tunisia—were added to the United States’ visa bond programme, joining 24 other African nations whose citizens must now pay thousands of dollars upfront before entering the US for short-term travel. The visa bond requirement now applies to 50 countries globally, 30 of them in Africa, according to the US State Department. That means 60% of the nationalities subject to the US visa bond policy are African. The policy affects travellers applying for B1/B2 visas, the category used for business trips, tourism, conferences, medical visits, and family travel. Under the rule, applicants from the affected countries are required to post a refundable bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 after their visa interview and before receiving approval. For travellers from most of the 30 affected African countries, the restrictions compound further. B-class visas, consisting of B1, B2, and B1/B2 visas, are now issued as single-entry permits valid for as little as three months. Each new trip means a fresh application, a fresh interview, and potentially a fresh bond deposit. The Single-Entry Constraint How long is a US B1/B2 visa actually valid? For the vast majority of African nations, it’s just 3 months and a single trip. Search or filter below to see the disparities. All 30 Countries 120 Months (4) 3-Month (24) Exceptions (2) The TechCabal Takeaway The Travel Tax on Innovation. While US policymakers tout global connectivity, the administrative reality for African builders is highly restrictive. Out of 30 countries analyzed, 24—including massive tech ecosystems like Nigeria and Senegal—are subjected to a 3-month, single-entry visa. This means founders seeking to attend accelerators, pitch investors, or build global partnerships must constantly reapply and face massive backlog wait times for every single trip after the 3-month validity. Only four countries (Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Tunisia) enjoy the 120-month (10-year) multiple-entry privilege. Even exceptional 24-month approvals for Ethiopian travellers require a high-level sign-off from the VO DAS (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services). Source: Data from the US Department of State Built by TechCabal Validity ${d.v} Entries ${d.e}
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