Phone and OS

Samsung has launched the One UI 9 Beta Program for its Galaxy S26 lineup, giving users an early preview of its Android 17-based software that focuses on smarter customisation, improved accessibility, and enhanced security, while laying the foundation for the company’s next generation of AI-driven mobile features. The beta rollout began this week in select markets, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, and Poland, as part of Samsung’s annual software development cycle. Users of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra can enrol through the Samsung Members app, following the company’s established beta testing methodology used in previous One UI releases. Samsung said the stable version of One UI 9 will debut later this year alongside its upcoming foldable device lineup. The Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip series are expected to receive the final build first, before the update expands to other devices in the Galaxy ecosystem. Refinement...

Samsung's One UI operating system continues its development cycle, with One UI 9 Beta approaching public release. The latest developments indicate Samsung has made significant progress toward opening the beta programme to a wider audience, with users expected to receive invitations by month's end. One UI 9 will bring a fresh approach to Samsung's interface and user experience. However, notably absent from this iteration is the Liquid Glass UI that was anticipated by technology enthusiasts. This distinctive design element, which would have provided comprehensive visual changes, will not be included in the current version, marking a deliberate shift in Samsung's interface strategy. The company's momentum appears to have accelerated recently. Samsung has taken concrete steps that push One UI 9 Beta closer to becoming publicly available. This acceleration suggests internal testing phases have reached satisfactory levels, allowing the company to expand access beyond inte...

Samsung is already preparing its next major software update, One UI 9, based on Android 17. Google seeded the first Android 17 beta on February 13, 2026, and early One UI 9 test builds reportedly appeared soon after on Samsung’s internal servers. The company is still preparing One UI 8.5 for wider public release, but work on the Android 17-based upgrade appears to be moving quickly. For Galaxy users, the main question is simple: which phones and tablets are likely to receive One UI 9? Samsung has not announced an official One UI 9 rollout schedule or eligibility list yet. However, the company’s current software update policy, early test builds and previous rollout patterns give a fairly clear idea of which Galaxy devices are likely to make the cut. When could One UI 9 launch? Samsung is expected to open the first One UI 9 public beta for its latest flagship phones. The Galaxy S26 series is likely to be first in line, followed by the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S24 lineups. A beta release cou...

Samsung has said it never formally announced April 30 as the rollout date for One UI 8.5, after widespread rumors led users to expect the stable update to arrive that day. The clarification came from a moderator on Samsung’s US community forum. The moderator said the April 30 timeline was based on community speculation and past rollout patterns, not an official announcement from the company. Samsung said the One UI 8.5 rollout is still being finalized and no release date has been confirmed. The company said it prioritizes testing results before committing to an update schedule, with final approval resting with its lab engineers. The extended beta testing period has made the software nearly stable, according to the company, but Samsung said engineers must complete their evaluations before clearing the update for public release. Regional factors also appear to have influenced the rollout. South Korea observed Labor Day on May 1, and a rollout on April 30 could have left Samsung with limi...

Gemini enabled direct file creation within its chat interface, allowing users to generate multiple file formats through a prompt without switching applications or manually reformatting content. The capability supported Google Workspace files, including Docs, Sheets and Slides, and Microsoft formats such as Excel spreadsheets and Word documents. It also included PDFs, CSV files, LaTeX documents, plain text, rich text format and Markdown files. The workflow aimed to streamline the creative process by allowing users to start with an idea or brainstorm session in Gemini and convert it into a finished file without leaving the platform. It stated that a budget proposal became an organised Excel spreadsheet, loose notes became a structured bulleted document, and complex collaboration summaries condensed into a single-page PDF. It said the time saved by removing copy-paste cycles and manual formatting translated into increased productivity. For Google Workspace users, Gemini integrated within ...

Samsung’s One UI platform is facing a wave of criticism that goes beyond the usual complaints accompanying a major software rollout. Across Samsung Community forums, users are increasingly questioning not just individual bugs, but the company’s broader approach to fixing them. A recurring claim dominates recent discussions: issues identified in one One UI version are not resolved within that release cycle, but instead pushed to the next numbered update. According to multiple forum threads, bugs found in One UI 7.0 were deferred to One UI 8.0, while problems now affecting One UI 8.5 are reportedly scheduled for fixes only in One UI 9.0. This perceived “next‑version delay” has become a focal point of user frustration. The concern is not that bugs exist — users accept that no major software is flawless — but that known issues appear to be systematically postponed rather than addressed through interim fixes. Examples frequently cited include persistent blur artifacts in the Gallery app, in...