According to tipster Ice Universe, Samsung has disabled Odin, a proprietary firmware flashing tool typically used to install stock firmware, install custom ROMs, and restore devices. It also appears that Samsung has removed “Download Mode,” which acts as a gateway for Odin. This change appears to have been made in the latest One UI 8.5 firmware and currently affects the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and recently launched Galaxy S26 series.
Yeah I agree! In general, a product should be either software or hardware, and companies shouldn’t have say on the other one. If you’re selling hardware (phone, TV, computer) you have no right to lock the software. If you’re selling software (apps, games), you have no right to lock it to a specific hardware.