Galaxy S23 Ultra Spotted with Android 17 — One UI 9 Testing Begins [U: Not Yet]

UPDATE: We always had doubts over the authenticity of this listing, and it turns out it was fake. Upon digging deeper, we discovered that this particular Geekbench run shows the firmware version FZCF, which is One UI 8.5-based firmware, not One UI 9. While Samsung may be testing Android 17 for Galaxy devices internally, this listing isn’t genuine.

The original article follows

Samsung may have started working on the final major OS update for the Galaxy S23 series. The S23 Ultra recently surfaced online with Android 17-based software, i.e., One UI 9, though we aren’t sure if the listing is genuine. The update should arrive at the end of 2026. The 2023 flagships will get One UI 8.5 before that, likely in the first half of the year.

Samsung starts testing One UI 9 for Galaxy S23 phones

One UI 9, based on Android 17, is expected to debut alongside Samsung’s next-gen foldables. Leaks suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8, and Wide Fold will go official on July 22. The company may start pushing the One UI 9 update to existing devices a few months after their market release.

As usual, newer flagships, like the Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Z Fold 7, should be first in the pipeline. The Galaxy S23 lineup may not receive One UI 9 until late in the year. However, Samsung may have already begun internal testing of the update, if this benchmark listing is genuine (via X/@Alfaturk16). The US version of the Galaxy S23 Ultra was spotted on Geekbench with Android 17.

The development may still be in the early stages, which is reflected in the benchmark scores. The device achieved scores of 1743 in single-core and 3919 in multi-core tests, which are far from what it is capable of.

Nonetheless, this listing reveals that Samsung is actively working on One UI 9 for eligible Galaxy devices even as it ramps up public beta testing of One UI 8.5. The company may begin the stable One UI 8.5 rollout later this month, with the update likely hitting the Galaxy S23 series by June this year. The lineup recently picked up the first beta build.

It’s worth noting that One UI 9 will be the final major OS release for the S23 lineup. The devices launched in 2023 with Android 13-based One UI 5, with Samsung promising four major Android OS upgrades. Unless the company extends support for its 2023 flagships, they’ll end their lives on Android 17. The Galaxy S23 series should get One UI 9.5 (if it arrives) next year, but chances of Android 18 are low.