In summary
- One UI commences rolling out this week
- Samsung Galaxy S25 series first
- Older phones throughout rest of year
Samsung has finally commenced rolling out its One UI 8 update to older Galaxy smartphones .
It’s taken a long time, but Samsung is finally rolling out its latest Android 16-based interface. One UI 8 was available out of the box with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 on 25 July, which is almost two months ago.
Since then, older Samsung device users have had access to a series of One UI 8 beta versions, with no sign of the full deal. Until now, that is.
Samsung sets One UI 8 free
Samsung has issued a blog post detailing One UI 8’s official rollout.
Starting thus week, the new UI will supply “advanced multimodal AI capabilities, a UX optimised for different device form factors and personalised, proactive suggestions to make everyday life smarter and more convenient”.
Not everyone will be getting the update straight away, however. The Samsung Galaxy S25 series will be first to receive the One UI 8 update this week, with the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6 , Galaxy S24 FE and additional eligible models following “later this year”.
Mattias Inghe
Small changes
In our review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, we explained that One UI 8 wasn’t such a huge update. In fact, for the most part, it “looks and acts exactly the same as One UI 7.”
Samsung here runs through some of the additions, including a more capable Now Bar with better third-party app integration, a more personalised Now Brief tool, and a more secure Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP) system.
One UI 8 is better suited to the foldable form factor, especially the Galaxy Z Fold’s larger internal screen. Meanwhile, Audio Eraser removes unwanted background noise.
It’s a relatively subtle update, in all, which once again begs the question as to why it took so long to make its way to Samsung’s other phones.
Samsung Galaxy S25
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.
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