Samsung has launched the world’s first 500Hz gaming monitor. This is a significant product for gamers who want to immerse into a smooth visual experience.

The Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF) comes with a 500Hz ultra-high refresh rate and a response speed of up to 0.03 ms (GTG standard). These two specs enable an immersive gaming experience in different genres.

The Odyssey OLED G6 brings a 27-inch QD-OLED panel to offer enhanced brightness and wide color range for a crisp and vibrant imaging. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,000 nits peak brightness, quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution and HDR10+ gaming support.

The display will take care of the users’ eyes with a pre-installed glare free layer to reduce glare reflection for longer gaming sessions.

Source – Samsung

Its OLED Safeguard+ technologies includes a dynamic cooling system that uses a coolant to evaporate and condense to diffuse heat 5x faster than a graphite sheet to reduce core temperature. The internal thermal modulation system automatically controls brightness to maintain the monitor’s cooling.

The monitor is intelligent enough to reduce brightness on static images such as logos and taskbars to prevent burn-ins. Feature such as screen saver self-dim when the monitor is idle. It is AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible to cut screen tearing that occurs during high-spec games and provide smoothing gaming visuals.

This 27-inch monitor is PANTONE and PANTONE SkinTone validated to reproduce, 2100+ colors and 110+ SkinTone shades from Pantone’s library. The monitor supports height adjustment, tilting, horizontal and vertical conversion, left/right rotation and VESA wall mount.

Its interface includes 1 EA display port, 1.4 display port, 2.2 HDCP version, 2 EA HDMI ports, 2.1 HDMI port, headphone jack, 1 USB-B upstream port, 2 USB Type-A downstream ports and 3.2 USB Type-A downstream version. The monitor has AC100 – 240V power supply via an external adapter and 140W power consumption.

It’s listing on the official Singapore store reveals a price tag of $1,488 SGD (around 1,140 USD).

Samsung has announced that the first ever 500Hz Odyssey OLED G6 gaming monitor will be launched around the globe on May 12 in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. Other market availability is yet to be confirmed.

Google is conducting Android 16 Beta, and the OS will likely be released early next month. This year, there will be a major and a minor Android release. Samsung Galaxy devices would get the new Android 16-based One UI 8 update in the second half of 2025.

Dozens of Samsung Galaxy devices are eligible for the Android 16 update. Samsung has finished the One UI 7 Beta and is gradually rolling out Android 15 to Galaxy devices. Several phones and tablets have been upgraded to the new OS so far.

Samsung was too late and slow with One UI 7, however, it’s not the case for One UI 8. The new foldables are shipping with Android 16, and we will likely see the Open Beta Program by the end of this month or early next month.

It’s all because Google is shifting gears to streamline Android’s adoption across vendors.

In recent years, Samsung has significantly improved its software support. The majority of new phones come with at least six years of OS update support. The policy peaks at 7 years on flagship devices starting with the Galaxy S24 series.

Determining Android 16’s eligibility for Galaxy isn’t that difficult. You will surely receive the update if your device is shipped with Android 14. It’s for entry-level phones, while for most, there’s no concern for mid-range and flagships.

Samsung Android 16 Eligible Device List

Galaxy S Smartphones:

• Galaxy S22 Series
• Galaxy S23 Series
• Galaxy S24 Series
• Galaxy S25 Series (and Edge)

Galaxy Z Fold and Flip Phones:

• Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4
• Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5
• Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6
• Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 (Pre-Installed)

Galaxy S FE Phones:

• Galaxy S21 FE
• Galaxy S23 FE
• Galaxy S24 FE

Galaxy A Phones:

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

Galaxy Tab Tablets:

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

Note: This is not a final device list, nor shared by Samsung. Based on the official software support promise, the above-listed Samsung phones and tablets will surely receive a major OS upgrade in the second half of 2025.

The listing of the S21 FE may have caught your attention due to the missing S21 series. For those shocked, the S21 series and S21 FE are eligible for four OS upgrades. The S21 FE launched with Android 12, while the S21 series launched with Android 11.

One UI 7.0 has revamped the Samsung smartphones’ user experience, and a feature called Now bar has redefined some app use cases that weren’t much of interactive before.

The new One UI version serves this now bar to keep you updated with background apps. It helps you to receive live notifications, music, and modes information from with lock screen.

For starters, the Now Bar appears at the bottom of the screen between the shortcut buttons. Each now bar has different controls based on their support application or services.

Here are five apps and services that I am using even more after its introduction with One UI 7.0.

Music Player

Samsung phones offering music widgets for a long time, but accessing music has never been so easy thanks to Now Bar. Once started, the playback will appear as a live notification in the task bar or in the notifications panel.

This live notification transforms into a media player now bar when the phone is locked, including playback controls. I can tap to change the track or play/pause without expanding options. That said, Samsung has also improved the large lock screen widget with smooth transitions in case you need a wider view.

For me, the now bar has been very handy in terms of reachability and one-hand operations. This enables easy switching between the tracks in a playlist.

Clock

Fitness is a goal and when you have to achieve certain goals you must track your time and efficiency. There comes timer and stopwatch. These two have been essential for me during walking and running, and the clock app has been a one-stop station for both of these features.

Fortunately, now bar supports these two clock app services. It has dedicated controls for timer and stopwatch. I can mark a lap from the lock screen, or check the remaining time of the session from the timer.

Similarly, these two services are available all over the home screen thanks to the live notifications, but the one available on the lock screen is highly visible and easy to use.

Modes

Modes are one of the most creative additions for Samsung smartphone. I have two modes – Sleep and Exercise. Once enabled, now bar let you know about the mode, and you can turn off the mode with a tap on the lock screen. This functionality is almost identical to the previous version, but the interactive and rich now bar UI has increased has made it more effective.

Google Sports

Finally, Google Sports, I’ve been using this feature for about a year via the Google app. However, its integration to Samsung’s system level has made it more adaptive. This way, I can stay connected with all of my favorite teams and games in cricket and soccer without tuning in live.

Importantly, the live screen API works very well and updates scores fast enough that I haven’t seen it lagging even for a second during a live match.

Through Google’s deep integration, the feature lets you follow and unfollow games or teams to start/stop receiving live notifications.

Conclusion

These are just a few supported apps, because now bar also supports Google Maps, Samsung Health, Interpreter, Voice recorder, Samsung Notes and other One UI 7.0 apps. The feature is likely to get an upgrade with One UI 7.0 with a broader app support.

Samsung’s Android 16-based One UI 8.0 is poised to be a significant update for Galaxy devices, with a release timeline, feature set, and strategic shifts that reflect both technological advancements and market dynamics.

One UI 8 seems likely to launch in Q3 2025, earlier than usual, due to Google’s Android 16 timeline. Samsung is skipping mid-cycle updates like One UI 7.1, going straight to One UI 8.0.

Leaks show that One UI 8 has more blur effects, dynamic colors, and fun visual changes. It appears Galaxy AI features, like Now Brief, will expand to more devices with One UI 8.

Rumors indicate One UI 8.5 may debut with the Galaxy S26 series, reflecting a new update strategy. Let’s have a deep dive into 5 things you need to know about Samsung’s One UI 8!

New launch timeline – Q4 to Q3

• It’s all Google that deserves the credit.

Samsung’s One UI 8 is expected to launch in Q3 2025, likely in July, instead of the usual Q4.

This change seems driven by Google’s earlier release of Android 16, expected in June 2025.  The alignment suggests Samsung is adapting to keep pace with Google’s schedule.

Source – Google

First major upgrade without mid-cycle release

• Neither One UI 7.1, One UI 7.1.1, nor One UI 7.0.1.

Unlike past updates, Samsung appears to be skipping smaller versions like One UI 7.1 or 7.1.1.

One UI 8 will be a direct major upgrade based on Android 16, possibly due to delays in One UI 7’s rollout. This means users might see a more significant update without interim patches.

Most beautiful UI upgrade

• More blur, more dynamic colors, more fun.

One UI 8 is shaping up to be the most visually appealing update yet, with more blur effects and dynamic colors.

These changes, including refined animations, aim to make the interface more fluid and fun, enhancing the overall user experience on Galaxy devices.

Credits – TechKhaled_ / X

Galaxy AI upgrades

• Reserved Galaxy AI features coming to even more devices.

Galaxy AI features, previously limited to newer models, seem set to expand with One UI 8.

Features like Now Brief, which provides quick updates, will likely be available on more devices, boosting productivity and personalization for a wider range of users.

Credit – Samsung

A bold successor likely

• One UI 8.5 may debut with the Galaxy S26 series.

After One UI 8.0, Android 16-based One UI 8.5 might debut with the Galaxy S26 series, suggesting Samsung’s new approach to software updates.

This could mean mid-cycle updates to keep devices fresh, aligning with Google’s faster Android release cycle and potentially offering more frequent enhancements.

The next Unpacked event is approaching and Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with new design upgrades against last year’s Z Fold 6. Early input shows that these two phones won’t be similar in the dimensions including height, width, and thickness.

In the past 2 years, Samsung has focused on revamping its fold and flip smartphones, focusing specially on shrinking bulky areas and increasing display size. This improvement will continue with Galaxy Z Fold 7 as the Korean company will add a slim form factor to its outlook.

In the latest developments, Tipster Ice Universe has shared a comparison table between the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Fold 6 and the China’s exclusive W25. These three shares the side-fold mechanism.

• Galaxy Z Fold 6 – 153.5mm length, 132.6mm width, and 5.6mm thickness
• W25 – 157.9mm length, 142.6mm width, and 4.9mm thickness
• Galaxy Z Fold 7 – 158.4mm length, 143.1mm width, and 3.9mm thickness

The Z Fold 7 is not only larger but wider than its predecessor. Another element of surprise in the comparison appears in the slimness, which makes the new device around 30% thinner. Of course, this thin body is described in unfolded state. On the other side, it makes an entire 1mm cut from W25.

Furthermore, we can estimate about 7.8mm thickness in the closed state without including the camera bump, which may go to an additional 0.2 or 0.3 mm. It’s still better than 12.1mm of Fold 6.

The width and height points finger at a larger cover for Fold 7. These foldable have a straight screen, which allows users to access all features without redirecting to the inner display. Reducing the thickness likely to maintain its weight on the face of ramping the cover and inner screens.

Z Fold 7 specs

Z Fold 7 will come with the One UI 8 (Android 16) operating system, first to preload. It will upgrade the main camera system to 200Mp from the 50Mp used in the previous device. Despite improving the design and screens, Samsung may stick the same, 4400mAh battery pack in the latest phone.

Samsung is likely to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at an Unpacked event somewhere in July, but an official date is yet to come.