Don’t Expect Much From One UI 8..
Now that One UI 7 has finally began rolling out to later model Samsung Galaxy devices like the Z Fold6, attention now turns to the next version of One UI which will bring Android 16 to Samsung’s devices. Samsung was quite famously late delivering One UI 7’s Android 15, with OEMs like OnePlus beating them to the punch by half a year and that has put them behind the proverbial 8-ball. If they stay on their current cadence, the frustration users are expressing while having to wait months and months to receive updates while other smaller OEMs seem to have a far easier time getting the job done is only going to get louder.
One UI 8 Coming Soon..?
The good news that word has it One UI 8 is coming much sooner than you’d think. SamMobile is reporting that One UI 8 should debut with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 in just a couple of short months. On one hand, it’s great to see Samsung getting back to a much more reasonable release track. On the other hand, it seems logical to wonder if such a fast turnaround will mean that One UI 8 could end up being pretty light on changes. This is doubly true when you realize how insanely huge the changelog was for One UI 7. This update was MASSIVE.
Don’t Expect Much
Somehow or another SamMobile has gotten their hands on an early build of One UI 8 and what they’ve seen has been pretty lackluster.
In the screenshots they posted, you can see the redesigned Quick Share UI with a dedicated Receive tab. In the Gallery app there is a new look to the menu which shares a lot of visual influences from the Quick Settings drop down. The wallpaper selector has more color options, most notably one that changes colors over time.
SamMobile also notes that the Galaxy Wearable app is no longer required for pairing Galaxy Buds.
One big thing to note here is that this is not a final build and it is entirely possible that there are more features coming in the final version that is still months away. This is also being tested on an S25 Ultra which will not be privy to any potential foldable enhancements or features that would debut with the Fold/Flip 7.
While Android 16 has been fairly light on landmark new features, there are certainly more than a handful and those should all be on board as well at launch.
Android 16
Resizing Apps
Many Android apps aren't designed to take full advantage of large screen devices, which can result in a less-than-ideal user experience. While these apps can still run on tablets and other large screen devices, they might appear distorted due to restrictions set by the developers. Fortunately, Android 16 is addressing this issue by phasing out the ability for apps to restrict screen orientation and resizability on large screens, allowing users to run apps at any window size and aspect ratio they prefer. This should be a major win for large screen phone users like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Now, apps will be able to resize on large screen devices, even if their developers have restricted it. One downside of this is that lazy app developers may suddenly find that their app resizes on large devices and this might break UI elements. I’m looking at you, Wyze..
Live Updates
Android 16 also introduces Live Updates, a new type of notification for ongoing activities like navigation, food delivery and more. If you’ve seen something like OnePlus’s Live Alerts, this will be very similar. The biggest difference is that these notifications are displayed prominently on the lock screen to ensure they don't get lost among other notifications. I guess I might have to disable that setting that automatically dismisses my lockscreen when it sees my face… Unlike offerings from the likes of OnePlus, this should fully support third-party app notifications which should make it much more useful.
Advanced Professional Video Codec
Android 16 will introduce enhanced media capabilities, enabling seamless playback, creation, and editing of high-quality content. This update also includes support for the Advanced Professional Video codec, ideal for professional-grade video recording and post-production. Additionally, a new API will be available to help third-party apps optimize camera performance in low-light conditions, resulting in improved photo quality.
Predictive Back Animations
We have yet another in the long line of updates to the predictive back gesture saga. Android 15 enabled predictive back in system animations, but not for apps. In Android 16, the predictive back system animations are now enabled by default for apps that target the new release. They are also rolling out the predictive back animation for users of the 3-button layout. If you long press the back button, you’ll see the same new animations.