Samsung introduced Theme Park 1.1.01.23, which brings a stunning Glass UI upgrade. Apple’s Liquid Glass design looks outdated against the ease of access and practical customization features provided by Samsung in Theme Park.

Recently, Samsung started rolling out the Theme Park 1.1.01.23 update (download link below). The new version adds five cool effects for icon customization. The scope of icon customization is broad enough, covering non-Samsung apps too.

Theme Park gets 5 icon effects:

1. Basic
2. Film grain
3. Duotone
4. Glass
5. Gradient

Theme Park Glass Effect

Apple dropped a new Liquid Glass UI with iOS 26. The company is still working to improve the visibility based on user feedback. Meanwhile, Samsung offered a more impressive way to Galaxy users with plenty of personalization options.

Samsung Glass UI tweak is available with an app update rather than a requirement for a software update or major OS release. You can look at the application of the Glass Icon effect in the images attached below, which also reflects in notifications.

How to setup Glass Icon

The new Glass Icon effect is available on Theme Park 1.1.01.23. It’s available for some devices, but you can get all the bells and whistles by installing the APK, provided by Theordysm.

To set up Glass Icon, you need to open Theme Park and tap the “create theme” option. From the bottom tabs, you have to selectthe  “icon” menu, where you will find the Glass style in the drop-down menu.

Selecting the Glass style opens up additional customization settings like icon color, glass appearance, and glow hue, as well as saturation and transparency sliders.

You can pick icon color that matches your wallpaper and test out different level of transparency to get the best results based on what’s on the background.

Theme Park Icon Effects

Download the Theme Park 1.1.01.23 APK – Google Drive

You have probably seen the headlines – Samsung’s July 2025 security patches are “rolling out.” But if you’re like most Galaxy users worldwide, you’re still staring at your phone wondering where your software update is. Here’s why this frustrating situation happens every single month.

Samsung always starts with South Korea, and there’s a good reason for this. It’s Samsung’s home market, so the users in the country get priority treatment. It’s like Samsung testing software updates on familiar ground before sending to global users.

After Korea, the rollout follows a fixed pattern: major European markets like Germany and the UK come next, followed by North America, then the Asia-Pacific regions, including India. Places like Latin America and Africa typically wait the longest.

Here’s what most people don’t understand: Samsung can’t just push software updates to everyone at once. You can argue how Apple can do this, they have a similar user base? I have an answer for that, too. Apple can do simultaneous global releases because it controls both the hardware and software completely, but Samsung works in a more complex ecosystem.

There’s also the carrier problem. In many countries, especially the US, carriers need to test and approve software updates before sending out to your phone. Some carriers are faster than others, which is why your friend with an unlocked phone might get updates weeks before you do. In addition, different countries also have different regulatory requirements.

Whenever you see any headlines claiming the updates are “rolling out,” it usually means Samsung has started the process somewhere in the world, typically Korea. But there’s a huge difference between “started rolling out” and “actually available to most people.” It’s not that the reports are wrong, but just not telling the whole story.

If you are in the US with a carrier phone, expect to wait longer than someone in Germany with an unlocked device. That’s just how Samsung’s system works.

Samsung’s staggered rollout isn’t meant to annoy you. Yes, it’s frustrating to wait, but your July 2025 security patch will arrive eventually. Samsung hasn’t forgotten about you.

Let me know what you think about Samsung’s software policy. I am available on X handle @SamsungSWUpdate.

Samsung Galaxy users are eagerly awaiting the One UI 8 rollout, the company’s latest Android 16-based interface. While the latest major update brings promising new features and performance improvements, Samsung’s communication strategy has left many users wondering when they will receive it on their devices.

Samsung introduced the One UI 8 alongside the latest foldable devices during the Galaxy Unpacked event in July 2025. The Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 shipped with the new interface pre-installed.

However, existing Galaxy device owners are experiencing a different reality. Samsung started the One UI 8 beta testing program in May 2025, initially limited to Galaxy S25 series users in select markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Poland, and India. So far, Samsung has released 3 betas for the S25 series.

As per beta testers, the current builds show significant stability improvements, indicating Samsung may be close to a stable One UI 8 release for flagship devices. Now the question is, when will Samsung release the One UI 8 update for eligible smartphones? Let’s discuss the expected rollout timeline.

Galaxy S25 Series:

Based on historical patterns and current beta progress, Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra users should expect the stable One UI 8 update between late July and early August 2025. The S25 series should be the first to receive the stable update, as the S25 trio has been in beta testing for a long time.

Other Flagships:

Galaxy S24 series owners, along with users of the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, will likely see One UI 8 updates in August 2025. The Galaxy S23 series and Z Fold/Flip5 devices should follow shortly after, in late August. By the end of this quarter, we might see the final rollout for the remaining flagship devices.

Mid-Range and Budget Devices:

These users should prepare for a September-October 2025 timeline, with some devices potentially waiting until late 2025.

Tablets and Other Devices:

Galaxy Tab S10, S9, and S8 series tablets will likely receive One UI 8 following the smartphone rollout, though Samsung hasn’t provided specific guidance for these devices.

I have something important to share about the eligibility for the One UI 8 update. Samsung’s old four-year update policy means some older devices may not receive One UI 8 at all. To be specific, Galaxy S21 series users have reached the end of the software update lifecycle.

There’s another important point, kind of a disappointment. Samsung’s delay in sharing clear update schedules upsets users who need timely security fixes and new features. This is similar to the One UI 7 rollout, where users waited months without any official updates until the stable version was released in April 2025. Clear information from Samsung would help Galaxy users plan for device upgrades and know what to expect from software updates.

Without official timelines, users can check for updates:

1. Samsung Members App: Check regularly for beta program announcements and rollout notifications
2. Device Settings: Navigate to Settings > Software Update to check for available updates
3. Official Samsung Channels: Monitor Samsung’s website and verified social media accounts for announcements

Image – SammyFans

In the end, the Galaxy S25 users should see the One UI 8 software updates soon, while others will need patience as Samsung works through its traditional rollout schedule.

For now, keeping your current software updated and monitoring official channels remains the best strategy for staying informed about One UI 8’s arrival on your specific Galaxy device.

Still got questions, ask me on X handle @SamsungSWUpdate.

It’s a perfect year for Galaxy Note 20 Ultra users to consider upgrading to the new Z Fold 7. Samsung’s loyal Note fans are still rocking their Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra as the lineup has been abandoned to make foldables mainstream.

3 big reasons to move

Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a massive, massive upgrade over the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Samsung has made great progress in its smartphone segment. Here are the 3 big reasons to upgrade:

1. Innovative form factor

Galaxy Z Fold 7 introduces an innovative folding screen mechanism. It’s a book-style foldable phone, which has a cover screen and a main screen. The cover screen offers a regular bar-type experience, while the main screen is like a tablet.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a phablet smartphone with a large screen and curved edges. It’s stunning for photography, entertainment, and gaming, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 takes you to a whole new world of usability and multitasking.

Source – Samsung Mobile Press

2. Upgraded camera, performance, software and AI

With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, you get a 200-megapixel primary, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical and up to 30x digital zoom.

The Note 20 Ultra’s camera setup includes a 108-megapixel main, a 12-megapixel 5x telephoto with 5x optical and 50x digital zoom, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide.

• The newer sensors in Fold 7, integrated with AI features and optimized software, deliver significantly better photos and videos.

Source – Samsung Mobile Press

Samsung equipped the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with Qualcomm’s fastest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It’s made using TSMC’s 3nm process tech. On the flip side, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra features Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) in the US.

• Geekbench CPU scores
  • Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – 1129 and 3234
  • Galaxy Z Fold 7 – 3051 and 9708

As you can see, Samsung’s Z Fold 7 has 3x better single-core and multi-core performance than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Snapdragon 8 Elite features (Credit – Qualcomm)

Galaxy Z Fold 7 also leads the way with Samsung’s most exclusive software and AI perks. This is the first device (in the world) to launch pre-installed with Android 16 and eligible through 2032 for Android and security updates.

You get literally 0 Galaxy AI features on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra as the support is capped till 2022 flagships. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is packed with all the bells and whistles Samsung has to offer with its Galaxy AI suite.

Source – Samsung Mobile

3. Hefty trade-in discounts

Following the Unpacked on July 9, Samsung is running Galaxy Z Fold 7 pre-orders. You can grab up to $1,100 discounts in the US. Interestingly, the company is offering unmissable trade-in benefits to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners.

If you buy a Galaxy Z Fold 7 from Samsung.com in the US, you can save $600 with your Note 20 Ultra trade-in. What makes it interesting is that the trade-in value Samsung is offering to the Note 20 Ultra is the same as S23 Ultra and Z Flip 5.

Images from Samsung Mobile Press

1 reason to wait

While there’s no practical reason to avoid the Galaxy Z Fold 7 over the Note 20 Ultra, one big reason might upset you.

Lack of S Pen support

Samsung abandoned the S Pen support to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 thinner. The smartphone doesn’t have a digitizer film that enables stylus input. Samsung might bring back S Pen to future Fold models, but it depends on consumer demand.

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was the last Note flagship with S Pen feature. This stylus was the iconic identity of this segment, which stopped in 2020. If you prefer S Pen with an in-body slot, the Galaxy S25 Ultra can be considered.

Image: Samsung

One UI 8.0 has polished features that made a debut with the previous software version, and one of which is live notifications, which lacked a sticky behavior and let go of its grip easily in the notifications panel.

Live notifications allow users to see real-time information of some important apps, such as countdown, timer, recorder and more. This notification appears in the task bar and the notifications panel. You will also see them on the lock screen through now bar in the bottom between the shortcut buttons.

Its unique UI design enables users to expand the view and interact with the on-screen options, like closing the current timer or changing the playback.

The view improves with the separate notifications panel, where you will see them as a list. Everything works just fine until you hit the clear button. That’s where the live notifications go away, along with other notifications in the panel, except for one.

Once cleared, the related app remains active in the background just like usual, but the system will no longer show its live notification. Now, you have to open an active app, such as the timer, to restore its notification.

This phenomenon is spotted in One UI 7.0 devices, where only the music notification sticks to its place. This situation was identical even in the together notifications panel setting.

One UI 7 live notifications

New Version

This problem takes away main aim of keeping the user updated with the important task in the background. Taking a note from the current problem, One UI 8.0 has made live notifications sticky rather than slippery.

Now, when you clear the notifications panel, they hold on to their positions while others get carried away from the screen. This is a subtle improvement that developers have come up with in the latest One UI version.

Meanwhile, Samsung has ensured the user remains in control. Therefore, you can swipe out any of the live notifications except for music, which requires you to kill the app from the background process. You can restore the live notification by reopening those apps.

One UI 8 sticky live notifications