Google is moving at full speed. I am expecting the same from Samsung as the Android 16 QPR1 beta is already here, and we are still waiting for the first official word about the Android 16-based One UI 8 beta program.

Regardless of this waiting, Google’s latest Android 16 QPR1 Beta introduces one of the most requested features: resizable Quick Settings tiles.

Google’s Android 16 is expected to come next month, but it won’t bring the full Material You “Expressive” redesign, expect it to arrive with the September Pixel Feature Drop. However, you can enjoy the UI improvements by joining the QPR beta channel (Pixel device exclusive).

Resizable Quick Settings:

In this beta, you now have the ability to customize the Quick Settings panel with resizable tiles. This long-awaited feature allows for better space utilization and personalization of your notification shade. We tried this on a Google Pixel device running Android 16 QPR1 beta.

How does it work?

1. Access the edit mode by tapping the pencil icon in the Quick Settings panel.
2. Tap any tile to reveal a draggable handle.
3. Resize tiles between the standard 2×1 size and the new compact 1×1 size.
4. Create your ideal layout with up to 16 tiles in the first panel (compared to just 8 previously).

Note: The smaller 1×1 tiles display only the function’s icon, omitting text labels to maximize space efficiency. You get a “Reset” button at the very bottom.

The update also brings improved organization to your Quick Settings management. This easy categorization makes finding and adding specific tiles much faster than scrolling through an unorganized list. Unused tiles are now logically grouped into categories, including:

• Connectivity
• Utilities
• Display
• Privacy
• Accessibility
• From system apps

Apart from this specific feature, the update adds several other notable improvements:

• Redesigned brightness slider
• Updated internet tile icon
• Refined typography
• New Settings app icons
• Enhanced animations and blur effects

Do we have these features in One UI 7? Could we see this in One UI 8:

Samsung’s One UI 7, based on Android 15, does not support resizable Quick Settings tiles—a feature introduced in Android 16 QPR1 Beta. Users cannot adjust tile dimensions (e.g., from 1×1 to 2×1) in the current One UI implementation.

Available customization options include:

• Rearranging tiles (tap and hold to reposition)
• Toggling between split and combined panel layouts

The architectural difference between One UI 7’s split panel design and Android 16’s unified Quick Settings experience is notable. One UI 7 also lacks Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive features, including background blur effects.

For reference, Android 16 QPR1 Beta maintains a unified Quick Settings and notification shade, requiring two distinct pull-down gestures—one for notifications and a second for Quick Settings access.

If you are seeking resizable Quick Settings tiles will likely need to wait for One UI 8, which is expected to bring Android 16’s expanded customization capabilities.

I am curious about your thoughts on these latest features. Please share your opinion on my X profile @SamsungSWUpdate.

Samsung has upgraded the Art Store with new 4K artworks from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. These new display curations make your Smart TV a stunning wall masterpiece with 4K quality.

The new Disney Collection for Samsung TV Art Store transforms living rooms into immersive digital galleries, featuring classic and contemporary works that celebrate storytelling, adventure, and the beauty of our planet.

Samsung says the Art Store lets you discover even more digital arts beyond the films like “The Little Mermaid,” “Snow White,” and “Tangled” to the legendary “Star Wars saga” and the breathtaking wildlife of “Planet Earth.”

The Samsung Art Store has roots from 2017, now offers over 3,500 curated artworks from more than 800 artists and 70 world-class galleries and museums. This 4K artwork subscription platform is available on Samsung TVs such as The Frame.

“We’re thrilled to expand our collaboration with Disney to offer their most beloved artwork to our global community of Art Store users,” said Heeyeong Ahn, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “By offering a diverse range of artistic content that transcends genres and generations, we aim to enrich the everyday lives of our users with art.”

Source – Samsung

Besides Disney, Art Store also added artworks from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Musée d’Orsay, as well as modern artworks showcased at Art Basel, from the comfort of their homes.

Haesung Optics, one of Samsung’s smartphone camera module component suppliers, is expecting a boost in business in 2025. The South Korean phone company makes for 80-90% of sales for the camera component maker and expected to add 123 billion won in business, up 40% compared to last year.

Haesung is known for its camera module actuators, used for optical image stabilization (OIS). Specifically, actuators work as a critical component for counteracting unwanted motion, such as hand tremors, to produce sharp images and highly stable videos.

The electromechanical components used in OIS are referred as voice coil motors (VCM), which makes physical movement in the lens module to compensate for vibration or shakes, based on the feedback from gyroscopic sensors.

Samsung started offering OIS technologies with the S-series and Note-series devices. However, the growing trend of camera features has rapidly descended OIS into mid-range devices, made possible by the cost-efficient manufacturing. Haesung Optics reportedly joined Samsung’s supply chain in 2021-2022, and the annual sales (proportion) to Samsung were:

• 138.1 billion (98%) won in 2021
• 151.5 billion (92%) won in 2022
• 114.1 billion (94%) won in 2023
• 87.2 billion (80%) won in 2024.

The company recorded negative growth in 2023 and 2024. Total sales in 2021 were 140.8 billion won (operating loss of 7.4 billion won) 2021, 163.8 billion won (operating loss of 5.1 billion won), in 2022, 121.1 billion won (operating profit of 3.9 billion won) in 2023, and 108.5 billion won (operating loss of 13.3 billion won) in 2024.

These figures were not so disappointing before 2021 because Haesung Optics had high sales. However, profitability concerns led the company to sell its camera module and lens module business in 2021. Since 2022, the company has been solely focused on OIS actuators, but sales haven’t improved.

There are several reasons for the sales downfall, the company claims that one of its customers has approved a late entry into different smartphone camera module component supply chains, such as wide and periscope telephoto zoom modules. This client is believed to be Samsung, since it’s the only one to make a major change in sales performance.

Despite these drawbacks, 2025 is looking bright for the camera component company due to the Galaxy S25 series and other pending device releases, including Fold 7, Flip 7, and more.

(source)

Samsung has been the top player in the foldable phone market for years, but it is now strongly challenged by Huawei. This Chinese tech company is quickly catching up, closing the gap with its new, innovative phones.

In 2023, Samsung held 32.9% of the global foldable phone market, but Huawei was not far behind with 23.1%, as per the IDC report. This is a big change from 2021, when Samsung had 83% of the market and Huawei only had 9%. In China, Huawei led with 48.6% of the market share, while Samsung had less than 1%.

Huawei’s rapid growth is mainly due to its new and advanced technology. In 2023, the company released the world’s first triple-foldable phone, the Mate XT, which is much thinner than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6.

On the other side, the Mate XT is only 3.6 mm thick when opened, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 5.6 mm thick. The Mate XT also has more memory with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, while Samsung’s top foldable model has 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

Other Chinese companies, like Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi, are also gaining in the foldable market by offering phones with similar features at lower prices.

Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 | Image: Samsung

Despite the competition, Samsung’s foldable phones continue to lead the foldable phone market. Samsung is working on keeping its edge by making thinner phones and improving heat management. The company is also looking at ways to reduce the cost of production to stay competitive.

Huawei is rising fast, but Samsung remains the leader in foldable phones. Aside from this, Samsung will soon launch its next foldable phones with new features and designs. Furthermore, Samsung’s Tri-Fold is also coming later this year to challenge Huawei’s tri-fold phone.

After Tri-Fold, Huawei foldable screen laptop launch exposes Samsung’s weak spots?

Qualcomm’s set to drop its Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 at the Snapdragon Summit, happening September 23-25, 2025, in Hawaii. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip is confirmed to power the Galaxy S26 series, bringing some serious upgrades for Androids.

The summit, announced at Computex 2025, comes earlier than last year’s October event. Qualcomm is speeding things up (via notebookcheck), and the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is expected to boost performance by 26% in AnTuTu tests.

Per the reports, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 processor sticks with a 6+2 CPU setup but packs a beefier Adreno 840 GPU, up to 30% faster. Built on TSMC’s N3P node with Arm v9, it’s designed for better power and efficiency.

Samsung’s known for mixing chipsets by region, so don’t be surprised if the S26 series splits between Snapdragon and Exynos. The company is quite ambitious for the Exynos 2600 to be used in the next-gen Galaxy S flagships.

Source – Qualcomm / Via – notebookcheck

However, Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will go head-to-head with Apple’s A19 and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500, with Xiaomi’s Xring O1 now also in the game. Early tests hint at a 3.8 million AnTuTu score for the next Qualcomm mobile platform.

Will Galaxy S26 launch early?

The September launch window means the US chip designer is ready to challenge Apple’s iPhone 17 flagships, which are also expected that month. The Galaxy S26 could steal the show with this processor’s power and efficiency.

Qualcomm isn’t the only vendor advancing its product launch timeline. Google is also bringing Android 16 a quarter earlier than usual. The aim is to help Android vendors utilize the release time shuffle to commercialize products early.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Z Fold7 with Android 16. However, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 processor can’t be used in these flagships, so the Galaxy S26 is the only candidate to debut it on Samsung’s camp.

We don’t assume much difference in the Galaxy S26 reveal timeframe. The unveiling will take place in the first quarter of the next year. It could be January or February for the product release, with S26 Edge likely replacing S26 Plus.