Samsung itself has said that we should expect a stable One UI 7 update by the end of this month, but that was back in December when the first beta build rolled out. The company’s skinned version of Android 15 appears to have hit a snag for flagships from 2024 and earlier, even though it officially launched alongside the Galaxy S25 series last month. To make matters worse, the latest rumors are in direct conflict with the signals Samsung is sending.
The week in mobile was predictably busy, as companies got their ducks in a row ahead of MWC 2025. Google made some major changes to its Pixel Preferred Care program and commemorated things by launching a brand-new hub. Meanwhile, Gboard hit a larger-than-life milestone while keeping its nose to the grindstone, and physical Google Stores are going up left and right — seemingly right on time to show off the impending Pixel 9a.
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Samsung’s One UI 7 update is sending mixed signals
It’s hard to get a read on when Samsung’s One UI 7 update for the Galaxy S24 series might drop, and even harder to suss out a prospective release date for Galaxy Z foldables and older flagships. On the one hand, Samsung ended the week by touting the effect “the rollout of One UI 7” will have on accessories like the Galaxy Buds 3, but on the other, it attributed the addition of new earbud features to “the launch of the Galaxy S25 series.”
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Outside of news from the horse’s mouth, even the leaks and rumors we heard this week painted a confusing picture. For one, the first One UI 7 beta build for the Galaxy S23 series was finally spotted on Samsung’s servers. But while it’s encouraging to know that testing is likely underway, the timing isn’t ideal if you were hoping for a stable build in Q1 2025.
An alleged leak out of Samsung Romania also surfaced this week, and if we take it at face value, 2023 flagships will get the update towards the end of April, while budget and midrange phones should see it about a month later. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 series, S24 FE, Z Flip 6, and Z Fold 6 were said to be getting the new version on April 19 — except the first Z Fold 6 beta builds were only just spotted this week, suggesting that deadline might be hard to meet.
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The Galaxy S24’s stable One UI 7 update might even be further away than you think
Another leak suggests a mid-April release
Google’s new Nest and Pixel hub arrives with big insurance changes
Last week, we spotted Google adding documentation for a new hub page where you could manage all of your Pixel and Nest devices in one place. This week, that hub page went live, offering a centralized place to view warranty details, manage repair claims, and more on all of your Made By Google devices.
We were also the first to report Google making big changes to its Preferred Care insurance plans for Pixel devices, in a seemingly related move that went into effect on the same day the new hub page went live. For one, Google is switching from Assurant to Asurion as its coverage provider, and in a bigger development, you can now purchase full two-year protection plans in one lump sum instead of making monthly payments.
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Google is making some big changes to its Pixel insurance plans
Get a 2-year plan with a one-time payment
Google Stores are opening from sea to shining sea
While unlikely to ever become as ubiquitous as Apple’s, Google’s physical retail stores are having a bit of a moment. This week, the company finally set a date for the grand opening of a new location in Southern California, delighting Pixel fans in the LA area with a Google Store just about a block away from the Santa Monica Pier.
While researching that story, we came across local news coverage of Google closing a deal to open yet another retail shop in the Washington, DC area. With the Santa Monica store set to launch in less than a week and the Austin iteration following shortly after (I stopped by this one Monday and construction crews were hard at work), the DC Google Store is likely to be the company’s eighth physical location.
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The Pixel 9a is well on its way
Google debuted the Pixel 8a right before I/0 2024 last year, so we had its successor pegged for a May 2025 release — that is, until about a month ago, when rumors revealed a mid-to-late March launch. An accelerated release cycle now seems more plausible after the leaks really started to pour in this week.
An international pricing leak showed Google maintaining respectable MSRPs even abroad, and another set of full-resolution wallpapers for the device appeared, suggesting software and supply chain specifics are nearly settled. Then, a hands-on video gave us a great look at the Pixel 9a in real life, and the phone even showed up randomly in a Galaxy S25 Edge leak, so it’s starting to look like an announcement is indeed imminent.
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Gboard shows no signs of slowing down after hitting a major milestone
Gboard hit a major milestone that made us do a double-take this week: The app has now been downloaded from the Play Store more than 10 billion times — that’s more than once for every person on Earth. But the math checks out, since it’s a pre-installed app on most Android devices, and the majority of us have owned more than one smartphone in our lives.
But Google’s engineers seemingly didn’t take any time to revel in the accomplishment, as the keyboard app was spotted integrating new features right after hitting the milestone. A small tweak to the toolbar removed the border around Gboard’s shortcuts button, to the dismay of symmetry fans. And in a much more major move, Google’s version of Apple’s Hide My Email was seen in action, with Gboard taking a central role.
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Google’s version of Apple’s Hide My Email is finally taking shape
And it will be integrated with Gboard