[Updated, good news!] Samsung promised 7 years of TV updates, I'm still waiting

Update (October 16): We have great news for 2023 Samsung TV users who, like some of us, are waiting for the big Tizen 9 and One UI update.

Samsung reached out and confirmed that the 2023 TV models will start their journey toward Tizen 9 next week!

The update may expand gradually to more regions and may not go live globally on the same day, but the wait is almost over. It looks like Samsung will keep its word, which is a great start for a fairly lengthy firmware journey.

Original story follows

This year, Samsung enhanced my user experience through several Android-based firmware releases, including One UI 7.0 and One UI 8.0 for my Galaxy S24+ and S22+. But while this is all well and good, I'm still waiting for a totally different kind of One UI update that seems to be long in coming.

This time, the update I'm eagerly waiting for isn't based on Android but on Tizen OS. I'm referring to Tizen 9 and One UI for my 2023 Neo QLED QN90C TV. And I'm not alone. A few SamMobile friends and colleagues are also waiting for this big update to drop on their 2023 premium OLED TVs.

Here's a quick overview of the key events that happened in Samsung's TV world over the past year.

In mid-2024, Samsung revealed its enhanced firmware support policy for AI-enabled smart TVs. The company announced that TVs released in 2024 or later, as well as select 2023 models, will receive seven years of Tizen OS updates.

At SDC 2024 in early October, Samsung said that, moving forward, its Tizen OS for smart TVs will boast a One UI-inspired interface.

And a few months later in 2025, Samsung introduced a new TV lineup powered by Tizen 9 and an updated One UI interface that brought a more cohesive UI design across TVs and mobile devices. We made a video about it, which you can watch below. It's fantastic.

Samsung rolled out the highly anticipated Tizen 9 update to its 2024 TVs earlier this year, but 2023’s premium OLED and Neo QLED models, mine included, were left waiting.

The last big update Samsung's premium 2023 TVs received was Tizen 8.0 in November 2024. That happened nearly a year ago. It's now October 2025, so if Samsung plans to maintain a strict yearly schedule, there's still time for the company to make things right by 2023 TV owners.

It sure feels like Samsung is taking too long, especially considering that none of the pre-2025 models will support Vision AI. Their version of Tizen 9 will consist of One UI-based menu enhancements, save the Vision AI bells and whistles.

Then again, I don't want Samsung to rush things, because, let's face it, it's easier to deal with a phone that has firmware issues than it is to deal with a TV that might need servicing if things go wrong. Better to be safe than sorry. The last thing I wish for is a bugged TV experience or, even worse, a bricked TV.

Nevertheless, I really hope that Samsung will be able to keep a steady rollout schedule and deliver on its 7-year firmware support promise. This is a new test for Samsung's consumer electronics division, and I hope that everything will go according to plan.