Samsung starts testing One UI 9 update for Galaxy S25, A57, A34 and A17 5G

We have officially crossed a major milestone in the Samsung ecosystem. Now that Samsung has wrapped up its One UI 8.5 rollout for eligible Galaxy phones and tablets worldwide, the tech giant is shifting its entire focus forward. We are now firmly in One UI 9 land, and development is moving much faster behind the scenes than you might expect.

While Google and a few other manufacturers have already published a growing list of devices entering the Android 17 beta phase, Samsung is taking its usual calculated approach. Right now, the Galaxy S26 series is the only lineup officially confirmed and actively running the public One UI 9 beta program in select markets like Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the U.K., and the U.S.

But what about the rest of the Galaxy family? I know many of our readers here in Kenya are holding onto older flagships or mid-rangers, wondering when they will get a taste of the future.

Well, I have some fantastic news. Fresh firmware files explicitly featuring One UI 9.0 have been spotted on Samsung’s over-the-air (OTA) update servers. While these tracking files don’t mean a public release is happening tomorrow, they reveal exactly which devices Samsung is actively preparing for public beta testing next.

Galaxy devices spotted on Samsung’s One UI 9 OTA servers

While the Galaxy S26 enjoys the spotlight, Samsung’s backend servers show that internal One UI 9 builds are spinning up for an expanded lineup:

• Galaxy S25 series
• Galaxy A57
• Galaxy A34
• Galaxy A17 5G

Seeing the Galaxy S25 series on this server list shouldn’t surprise anyone; previous-generation flagships are always next in line. However, what really caught my eye is the early inclusion of mid-rangers like the Galaxy A57 and the entry-level Galaxy A17 5G.

Even more impressive is the appearance of the Galaxy A34. This device has been an absolute workhorse for thousands of smartphone users in Kenya. Seeing Samsung actively building and preparing an Android 17-based update for a phone of this generation proves their long-term software commitment isn’t just marketing fluff.

We already know that the foundation of this update relies heavily on Android 17’s massive focus on large screens and cross-device connectivity. Samsung is taking those structural Android upgrades and deeply customizing them into One UI 9. If you caught our recent breakdown of the differences between One UI 8.5 and One UI 9, you know this isn’t just an incremental patch. This upcoming version is shaping up to be an aesthetic and functional overhaul, bringing heavily redesigned notification shading, smarter multi-window integration, and localized Galaxy AI toolkits optimized to run smoothly without destroying your battery life.

When will One UI 9 update land locally?

Because the official public beta program is regionally locked, Kenyan users won’t see a registration banner pop up in the Samsung Members app. But with the likes of Vivo X300 Pro officially eligible for Android 17 beta testing in Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt, we hope Samsung will consider Africa in future One UI Beta programs. However, the fact that internal firmware is already compiling on OTA servers for mainstream models like the A57, A34, and A17 5G points to a highly streamlined development cycle. Once the stable build goes live later this year, the trickle-down effect to mid-range tiers could happen faster than any previous generation.

We will be tracking Samsung’s update servers closely over the coming weeks to see if more devices join the pipeline.

What Galaxy device are you rocking right now? Is your phone on the upcoming testing list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!