Samsung has decided to change the usual numbering scheme of its proprietary shell. While One UI 6.0 was released with the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S24 debuted with One UI 6.1, the new Galaxy S25 received One UI 7.0. It would be logical to wait for the 7.1 version in 2026, but the company is unexpectedly preparing to release One UI 8, which will arrive in the coming months.
According to SamMobile, One UI 8 has already been tested on the Galaxy Flip 6 and now on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Admittedly, there are few changes so far: new wallpapers, a revamped gallery view and an improved Quick Share feature that allows you to manually set the time for which the smartphone will be available to retrieve files. The features menu now has separate sections for sending and receiving.
Updated One UI 8 personalisation elements for the Galaxy S25.
In addition, the connection to Galaxy Buds headphones has been improved – no need to open the companion app now. On the Flip 6, the Now Brief feature, which provides personalised summaries and recommendations, is now available after the update. The ability to capture log videos directly from the camera has also been added.
Interestingly, the One UI 7 update is still in the works – flagships are getting it now, and it will come to the mid-segment in the summer. Against this background, the One UI 8 release looks strange, especially considering the minor changes.
The interface and customisation of the Now Brief feature.
Perhaps the reason is the underlying platform-One UI 8 is based on Android 16, which Google is working on faster than usual. Because of this, Samsung was forced to move swiftly to the new version.
Android 16 itself contains quite a few changes: lock screen updates, improved battery monitoring, Ultra HDR support in the camera, optimisations, new Gemini-based AI features, Live Update, AVP codec and more. Android 16 is expected to be finalised in June and the final One UI 8 should be released around the same time. The first to receive it will be the new Galaxy Fold 7 and Flip 7, which are scheduled to be unveiled in July.