Samsung unveiled the One UI 8 Watch Beta Program in the US. The company has also revealed the eligible Watch models, new features, and enhancements for Galaxy Watch users. The press release also brings bad news for Watch 4 users.

One UI 8 Watch Beta will be available for Galaxy Watch 5 and later models in the US and South Korea. Samsung mentioned that the Beta Program will be available for a limited number of users in both markets later this month.

Samsung’s Wear OS 6 update introduces Bedtime Guidance to optimize sleep, Vascular Load to measure stress on the vascular system during sleep, Running Coach to support personalized training strategies, and Antioxidant Index to measure carotenoid levels for healthy aging.

• Read More – Samsung One UI 8 Watch launched with new health features for Galaxy smartwatches

Eligible Watch models

• Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro
• Galaxy Watch FE (probably directly Beta)
• Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic
• Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra

How to join the Beta Program

With the One UI 8, Samsung has simplified the Beta Program joining process. If you’ve already joined the Mobile Beta, you can easily opt in for the Watch Beta.

Open the Samsung Members app, reach the bottom of the home page, and hit the Beta banner. Here, you should see a Watch 8 Beta poster; clicking it takes you to the enrollment window.

Sign up for the Beta Program and head over to the Galaxy Wearable app. Triggering the Software update will fetch the Beta build, opening access to the latest features and advancements.

Note: One UI 8 Watch Beta should go live soon in South Korea and the U.S.

Samsung is collaborating with Hansol Chemical to develop a new type of quantum dot (QD) film for its QLED TVs. This collab aims to make the film simpler and cheaper to produce, without affecting picture quality.

Right now, QLED TVs use QD sheets with several layers, including two special “barrier films.” Its structure is: barrier film – PET – QD layer – PET – barrier film. These barrier films protect the QD layer inside from things like moisture and oxygen, which can damage the film over time.

But these barrier films are expensive. And these films make up about 40% of the total QD film cost. Also, Samsung currently depends on a Japanese company, Dainippon Printing (DNP), to supply them.

To save money, Samsung and Hansol are now developing a QD sheet that removes both barrier films. The new structure will be much simpler: PET – QD layer – PET. But it creates a new challenge, which is how to protect the QD layer without the barrier films

For that, Samsung is developing a new technique to coat each tiny QD particle individually, which could keep them safe from moisture and oxygen. But this new process must be cheaper than using barrier films for it to make sense.

While this change is for QLED TVs, Samsung’s QD-OLED TVs use a different method. It means that if Samsung develops and uses this new technology, the price of the QLED TVs could go down.

Industry experts say Samsung has been researching this for years. If successful, this new QD sheet could lower production costs and reduce dependence on expensive materials. However, it will take time until mass production.

Samsung has opened registration for the 8th ‘C-Lab Outside’ startup recruitment from June 16 to July 4. The program is looking for creative and promising startups to grow and work together with Samsung.

This year, the recruitment is happening in four regions, including Seoul, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Gwangju, to find talented startups from all over Korea. Startups working in areas like AI, robots, digital health, IoT, content and services, materials/parts, mobility, and ESG are encouraged to apply.

Eligible applicants must be Korean-registered startups that have received Series B or earlier-stage investments. Applications can be submitted via the official Samsung C-Lab website.

Startups selected for the program will receive up to 100 million KRW in support, office space, expert advice from Samsung, and chances to show their products at global events like CES. They can also use some of Samsung’s patents and explore ways to work with Samsung’s products and services.

There are already some great success stories of some startups. For example, Lyduck, a fitness AI startup, worked with Samsung to add its service to the Samsung Health app. Another startup, Pinpoint, created a smart building app that is now used in Samsung’s office buildings.

Back in 2018, Samsung started C-Lab Outside to help young companies grow and create more jobs. So far, it has supported over 500 startups. Now, Samsung is looking forward to more startups with the 8th C-Lab Outside Startup Recruitment.

Samsung Creative Development Center Vice President Jeon Pil-gyu said:

“We look forward to the participation of many innovative startups that can explore new possibilities and create synergy with Samsung C-Lab. Samsung will prepare for the future through joint growth with startups and continue to create successful cooperation models.”

Samsung TVs, Art Basel’s Official Art TV partner, launched the Art Basel in Basel (ABB) Collection today. This exclusive Art Basel digital art curation, available on Samsung TVs via the Samsung Art Store, features 38 diverse works.

It’s the largest Art Basel collection yet, showcasing global artists and galleries to bring world-class art to more homes. The ABB Collection emphasizes diversity, spanning continents, mediums, and voices.

For the first time, it includes an Africa-based gallery, enriching its cultural depth. Select pieces will be displayed at Art Basel, June 19-22, at Messe Basel, Switzerland.

With the Samsung Art Store, your TV becomes a personal art gallery, offering over 3,500 works by more than 800 artists. It’s available on 2025 Samsung TVs like Neo QLED 8K and The Frame, with Samsung Vision AI making the visuals and sound even better.

Image – Lynn Hershman Leeson’s Seduction (1985) shown on Samsung Neo QLED 8K

38 out of 100 artworks were picked with a focus on artist diversity, medium variety, and geographic representation. The collection shows both up-and-coming talents and well-known names, aligning with Art Basel’s dedication to contemporary art from everywhere.

Notable works include:

1. Roméo Mivekannin, “Young woman with peonies after Frédéric Bazille” (2023): A compelling reimagining of classical portraiture from a postcolonial perspective.
2. Basim Magdy, “An Intergalactic Messenger Teleported us to a Cave Settlement Ruled by Shared Compassion and Humility” (2022): A vibrant exploration of utopian futurism.
3. Zandile Tshabalala, “Pink Blossoms” (2024): A powerful portrait celebrating Black femininity and nature.
4. Antonia Kuo, “Willo” (diptych) (2024): A striking dual-panel composition that fuses digital manipulation with analog techniques.

At Art Basel, Samsung’s ArtCube lounge shows off how The Frame, MICRO LED, and Neo QLED 8K TVs make digital art pop with stunning clarity. You can check out the Samsung Art Store, create your own custom art portraits, and join talks about how tech and art come together.

Galaxy S26 series is expected to launch with One UI 8.5, and Samsung has reportedly kick-started the firmware development. If true, it’s a quiet revolution that would make a big shift in Samsung’s software distribution mechanism.

One UI 8.5 has been in rumors for the past few months. It will be a follow-up version of the One UI 8.0, built on Android 16. This mid-cycle version’s launch is highly likely, as it was also discovered in one of One UI 7’s hidden menus.

Recently, two credible Samsung tipsters claimed that the development of Galaxy S65’s firmware has begun. The sources specifically mentioned “One UI 8.5” as the software that is now being developed for the Galaxy S26 series.

Samsung could expand One UI 8.5 features to older devices via firmware updates. The Galaxy S25 series would get most of the new goodies, while Samsung may share some love with devices like the Galaxy S24, S23, and S22 series.

Here’s why One UI 8.5 is a quiet revolution

One UI 8.5 appears to be a significant upgrade over One UI 8.0. It’s coming after Samsung’s bringing no mid-cycle version over the One UI 7.0. There’s neither One UI 7.1 nor One UI 7.1.1 succeeding the One UI 6.1 and One UI 6.1.1.

Well, Samsung’s likely move to debut the x.5 version isn’t surprising for enthusiasts. Until the One UI 2, Samsung used to release x.1 and x.5 versions. With the One UI 3, the company replaced the x.5 version with a more minor x.1.1 iteration.

Galaxy S25 Plus – Samsung x Van Gogh Museum

One UI 8.5 not only sounds like a major upgrade, but it would indeed be. As Android 16 is coming early to Samsung phones, this mid-cycle One UI version would work like a gap filler at the company’s conventional OS rollout time.

Apple’s iOS 26 brings major design changes, and new features are also coming. We are hopeful that the One UI 8.5 will bring Galaxy phones an additional edge over the upcoming iPhones in terms of user experience and productivity.