Samsung officially launched One UI 8 with Android 16 on July 9, 2025, at its Galaxy Unpacked event. This is way earlier than the usual timeline. Samsung typically releases major updates in the fall, but this time it’s giving us a summer surprise.

Thanks to a closer partnership with Google, we have an early release of One UI 8. With this collaboration, Samsung becomes the first company to launch a new device with Android 16 right out of the box. Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 are shipping with One UI 8 pre-installed.

Before going into supported devices, let’s find out the key features:

• Better AI: Your phone gets smarter. The Now Bar and Now Brief features work even better now.
• Smoother Experience: Everything moves faster and looks cleaner. The Gallery app and file manager got refreshed, and sharing files is now easier.
• Audio Improvements: Android 16’s Live Updates feature is now part of Samsung’s Now Bar, showing real-time updates like food delivery progress right on your lock screen.
• Better Security: Your phone stays protected with advanced security features and anti-theft tools that work even after a factory reset.
• Improved Multitasking: If you have a Galaxy Z Fold or Flip, you will love the improved multitasking and easier controls.

Let’s now talk about supported Samsung devices for Android 16:

Galaxy S Series

• Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge
• Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE
• Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE
• Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra
• Galaxy S21 FE

Important Note: The regular Galaxy S21 series (S21, S21+, S21 Ultra) won’t get One UI 8 because these devices have reached the update limit. The S21 series came with Android 11 and has already received its four major updates.

Foldable Phones

• Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, Z Flip 7 FE (come with One UI 8 already installed)
• Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6
• Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5
• Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4

Galaxy A Series (Mid-Range Phones)

• Galaxy A73, A56, A55, A54, A53
• Galaxy A36, A35, A34, A33
• Galaxy A26, A25, A24, A23
• Galaxy A16, A15, A14, A06

Tablets

• Galaxy Tab S10, S10 Plus, S10 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra

Remember: This list isn’t official from Samsung yet, but it’s based on the software update policies. Some Galaxy F and M series phones might also get the update.

When will your phone get the update?

Already Available:

The Galaxy S25 series has been testing the beta version since May 28, 2025, and should get the stable One UI 8 version by late July or early August 2025.

• August 2025: Galaxy S24, S23, and older foldable phones
• Later in 2025: Mid-range A-series phones and tablets

Samsung’s software rollout happens in phases. The company starts with its newest flagship phones and gradually moves to older models.

One UI 8 with Android 16 is a solid update that makes your Samsung phone smarter, faster, and more secure. If you have a Samsung phone from the last 2-3 years, you will probably get this update before the end of 2025. The exact timing depends on your specific model and where you live, but Samsung is moving much faster this time compared to previous updates.

Stay Updated: Keep checking your phone’s software update section and the Samsung Members app for the latest news about when One UI 8 will arrive on your device!

Android is getting a major performance upgrade, which is the transition to 16 KB memory page sizes. With Android 15, phones can use either 4 KB or 16 KB memory pages. Devices that use 16 KB pages, like the latest Pixel 8 and Samsung’s One UI 7 phones or later, can benefit from faster app performance, better battery life, and smoother operation.

As of November 1, 2025, Google Play will require all new apps and updates with native C/C++ code targeting Android 15+ to support 16 KB memory pages. Apps built only with Java or Kotlin are already compatible, but if your app uses native code, you’ll need to recompile and make updates.

Apps that support 16 KB pages will see clear improvements with a 5-10% performance boost. With 16KB pages, apps can launch up to 30% faster, use less battery by 4.56%, and improve camera launch speed by up to 6.6%. Even phone startup times can get faster. These changes make the phone feel smoother and faster for users.

Image via Android Developer Blog

This means that after this 16KB page size, Samsung’s One UI 7 and newer are optimized, offering noticeable performance improvements and improved battery life. However, to support this transition, Android Studio offers key tools. These are:

• APK Analyzer: Detect .so files and check 16 KB compatibility.
• Alignment Check: Warn if libraries or APKs are not 16 KB-aligned.
• Lint in Android Studio: Lint checks will warn you if something is not ready for 16KB pages.

You can test your app using a 16 KB emulator or on real devices like the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro with Android 15+. By making apps ready for 16 KB pages, Google is aiming to provide improved speed, better battery life, and give users a better experience.

Samsung is testing a key Android upgrade that speeds up everything

Samsung is working on a new Android upgrade, 16KB memory pages, that could make phones faster, smoother, and more efficient. It brings improvements to how your Android phone works.

Right now, most Android phones use 4KB pages to manage memory. Memory pages are small parts of your phone’s RAM, used to run apps and keep things working. Google says that from November 1, 2025, all new apps and updates must support 16KB pages instead. This means the phone will handle memory better, which helps speed things up.

Samsung has already started testing a 16KB memory upgrade on the Galaxy A56, the latest Galaxy A series phone. This shows that not only flagship phones will get the upgrade, but even affordable models will benefit.

Image via SammyGuru

Thanks to Samsung’s Remote Test Lab, app developers can already test their apps on the Galaxy A56 with 16KB support. This helps make sure apps are ready when Android switches to the new system.

Using 16KB memory pages helps phones run faster and more efficiently. Apps open more quickly on average 3.16% faster, and some open nearly 30% faster when memory is limited. This also helps save battery during app launches by about 4.56%.

The camera opens quicker, with 4.48% faster warm starts and 6.60% faster cold starts. Even the system boot time improves by 8%, saving nearly a second in start-up time.

Even though this change uses a bit more memory, this improvement helps your phone feel quicker and smoother. It’s a small tweak that really shows in everyday use.

Google has released the July 2025 Play System update, bringing important changes to Android phones. This update makes some helpful improvements to how your Android phone works.

At the moment, the July 2025 Play System update enhances Android System Intelligence and Private Compute Services. Through this, the company aims to provide a better experience and smoother performance.

The fresh update for Android System Intelligence includes refactoring and bug fixes. This means that Google has cleaned up and improved the code to make things run more smoothly. It also fixed some problems to help your phone work better.

For Private Compute Services, it brings infrastructure and maintenance changes. This means Google made updates to how some private and secure features work in the background. These features help your phone do tasks while keeping your data private.

Even though this update doesn’t include any big new features, it helps keep Android phones safe, stable, and fast. These system updates are sent out automatically through the Google Play system, so users won’t need to do anything. But if the new update of the Google Play System, they need to install it. The company will soon make this update available for all Android devices.

What’s New in Google July 2025 Play System Update

Android System Intelligence V.31 / B.9 (2025-07-04)

• [Phone] Refactoring and bugfixes.

Private Compute Services V.31 / B.9 (2025-07-01)

• [Phone] Internal infrastructure and maintenance changes.

Samsung Galaxy devices are now getting the June 2025 Google Play System update. This update brings many new features and improvements to make your device more secure, stable, and user-friendly.

The fresh update includes Google Play services v25.25, which improves account management by enhancing themes for supervised accounts and adding camera permission support for video verification. There’s also a better experience for Google Wallet with a fresh and expressive design.

There are also updates for system management that fix bugs and help your phone, tablet, watch, or TV run more smoothly. If you use Google Cast, you can now turn on your Linux TV from sleep mode using Wake-on-LAN. The settings for using your phone with other devices are also easier to use now.

Image via Tarunvats

The Google Play Store v46.9 adds a new page to browse sports content, where you can see upcoming matches and where to watch them. For users in India, it now supports more Hindi language search options.

Moreover, this update adds more helpful tools like a 4-digit PIN to protect PIX payments in Brazil, a Scan to Add Wallet feature in Australia and Japan, and better ways to back up your apps and photos. It also includes minor changes like better designs for app downloads, support for large apps on mobile data, and new layouts for ads and sports content.

Security and privacy are also improved in the Android WebView and other system apps, helping your device stay safe. To get the June 2025 Play System update, go to Settings >> Privacy and Security >> Updates >> Play System update on your Samsung smartphone.