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After updating its eligible flagships and mid-range phones to the October security patch, Samsung has now turned to flagship tablets. It has released the latest security update for the Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy Tab S7 lineups. The Galaxy Tab S9 series is still awaiting the update but the company should soon cover it too.
Samsung pushes October update to the Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S7
As of this writing, the October SMR (Security Maintenance Release) is available for the 5G models of the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+, and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The update comes with firmware version BWI1 (last four characters) and is rolling out widely in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The latest security patch should reach the Wi-Fi models in the coming days, alongside a global rollout for the 5G models.
Samsung’s changelog confirms that this update doesn’t bring anything more than the October SMR to the Galaxy Tab S8 series. This month’s security patch contains fixes for 46 vulnerabilities. The Korean firm revealed earlier this month that 12 of those are security flaws specific to Galaxy devices. The rest are Android OS issues, two of which are critical ones.
These security patches are also rolling out to the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+. Both Wi-Fi and 4G models appear to be getting the update with the build number DWJ1. Once again, Samsung is only pushing the October SMR. There aren’t any new features or improvements to look forward to. These tablets may no longer get feature updates.
Nonetheless, if you’re using a Galaxy Tab S7 or Galaxy Tab S8, watch out for a new update. You should get a notification once the OTA (over-the-air) rollout hits your unit. You can also check for updates manually from the Settings app on your Samsung tablet. Navigate to the Software update menu and tap on Download and install.
The Galaxy Tab S7 series won’t get Android 14
Galaxy users are eagerly waiting for Samsung’s Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update. The big new update is expected to roll out later this month, starting with the Galaxy S23 series. Other models, including the Galaxy Tab S8, will follow soon after the new flagships.
However, for Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+ users, this road has already ended. These tablets came with Android 10 onboard and received updates until Android 13. Samsung recently pushed One UI 5.1.1 to them and that was the last major feature update. The duo will not get Android 14. Security updates will come until at least August 2024.