Samsung has downgraded the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra to a quarterly security update schedule. The Galaxy S21 series launched in January 2021, so it has enjoyed monthly updates for four years.

Going forward, for at least a year, Samsung will release a security update for the original Galaxy S21 trio once every three months. The Galaxy S21 FE, however, will continue to receive monthly updates, as the FE model hit retail shelves almost a year after its non-FE counterparts.

The Galaxy S21 lineup received its first monthly update of 2025 in early January, and Samsung may release another monthly security update or two before the quarterly schedule goes into full effect.

In the coming weeks, the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra will receive their final major Android OS upgrade (Android 15). For the Galaxy S24 FE, Android 16 will be the final major upgrade because it launched running Android 12 out of the box (the other models launched with Android 11).

While you can stick with your S21 series phone for another year, this may be a good time to upgrade. The Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra will go on sale on February 7 with a guarantee of OS and security updates for seven years.

If you upgrade from a Galaxy S21 Ultra to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, you will appreciate the similarities in design. While the S25 Ultra isn't as narrow as the S21 Ultra, it has rounded corners that make it more comfortable to use compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, and S24 Ultra.

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