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One UI 8.0: Features, Eligible Devices and Release Date

One UI 8.0 is the next big software update for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablet devices. It will bring improvements over the existing version, and the journey to this new software isn’t easy for the Samsung due to some serious challenges posed by One UI 7.0.

Samsung has the world’s most popular Android ecosystem, but the current One UI doesn’t follow its reputation. It’s not about features or bugs or something related to software development, instead, it’s the sloppy rollout.

The Korean tech company usually announces One UI upgrade at the annual developer conference, but its 2024 edition only brought a brief One UI 7 intro without any meaningful revelation about the official release. Instead, the company focused on Galaxy AI, Samsung’s futuristic technological advancement.

In mid-October, Google announced Android 15, marking a reverse countdown for One UI 7 rollout that led to a beta release in early December.

One UI 8.0

Image By – Chanakya Shrutam/Sammyfans

To be mentioned, Samsung launched One UI 16 beta in August 2023, followed by a formal revelation at SDC23 and OTA distribution by the end of the year. So, last year, Samsung not only reversed these two practices but pushed the OTA rollout to 2025.

Amid this rescheduling, Google dropped a bombshell by announcing the Android 16 preview in November. That means, the next Android OS began test journey even before Samsung’s One UI 7 (Android 15) beta program. This situation has garnered massive attention from Samsung smartphone owners, as well as criticism on the slow rollout phase.

Earlier this year, we saw the first signs of One UI 8.0 reference in an app code, and it wasn’t enough to turn users’ disappointment into excitement due to the delayed software upgrade practice.

Samsung One UI 8

(Credit – Smartprix)

Through January to March, Samsung kept the One UI 7 beta program limited to the Galaxy S24 series and released several beta updates with improvements. Its debut was set in April on existing flagships, and eventually, it happened.

One UI 7

One UI 7

While One UI 7 arc was moving forward, Samsung also gave us a glimpse of One UI 8 through an early development build leak. It indicates that the company wants to keep up the pace with Google for the next version. It is possible that the Korean tech firm has developed these two software simultaneously, which distracted its focus on a time-bound software delivery.

This week, Google rolled out the 4th Android 16 beta, the second platform stability update, nearing the final launch. Meanwhile, Samsung will continue the software testing, and we’ll see more of the test builds.

One UI 8.0 Features

This update will continue One UI 7’s UI including the redesigned icons, but animations could be smoother. A report indicates that the next the One UI could polish animation smoothness even further.

One UI 7.0 has revamped all device interactions with increased visibility and upgraded UI elements. Still, the current version appears to be a beginning of a bigger picture.

One UI 7 features

One of the apps leaked in the test build shows that the app content will have distinctive shapes that will separate from the background card consisting of on-screen options. With this, we may see minor optimizations for visibility by providing a broader sense of the UI’s location on the screen.

Source – SmartPrix

 

With One UI 7, Samsung has introduced new features – Now Bar, Now Brief and Live notifications. These features are currently limited to system apps, but we expect One UI 8.0 to bring a wider expansion for all three.

The current version offers features such as app icon size and label management are pretty handy for personalization, and you can expect similar advancements in One UI 8. An early development build confirms that One UI 8 will expand the Now Brief feature to older flagship phones, including foldable.

One UI 8 Now Brief

Source – Smartprix

Samsung may give us more Galaxy AI. That said, we have a chance to see more AI features with this update, but the picture not so clear from the current standpoint.

Last year, Samsung has invested many resources and attention in this segment. Look at the S25 series, for example, which labelled as an AI device and all of its offerings are working quite well. That cost One UI 7 rollout efficiency for previous generation of smartphones and a less focused expansion.

Still, with all of its advanced features and intuitive UI, One UI 7 stands tall as a new beginning for Samsung devices, and the next upgrade will provide it a more sophisticated retouch to improve the overall experience.

One UI 8.0 Eligible Devices

One UI 8 will be available for all flagship phones and tablets that range back to 2022 and the recent released budget and mid-range phones, including:

  • Galaxy S25 Ultra
  • Galaxy S25 Plus
  • Galaxy S25
  • Galaxy S25 Edge
  • Galaxy S25 FE (Tentative, To Be Released)
  • Galaxy S24 Ultra
  • Galaxy S24 Plus
  • Galaxy S24
  • Galaxy S24 FE
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
  • Galaxy S23 Plus
  • Galaxy S23
  • Galaxy S23 FE
  • Galaxy S22 Ultra
  • Galaxy S22 Plus
  • Galaxy S22
  • Galaxy S21 FE
  • Galaxy Z Fold 7 (pre-installed)
  • Galaxy Z Flip 7 (pre-installed)
  • Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition
  • Galaxy Z Fold 6
  • Galaxy Z Flip 6
  • Galaxy Z Fold 5
  • Galaxy Z Flip 5
  • Galaxy Z Fold 4
  • Galaxy Z Flip 4
  • Galaxy A73
  • Galaxy A56
  • Galaxy A55
  • Galaxy A54
  • Galaxy A53
  • Galaxy A36
  • Galaxy A35
  • Galaxy A34
  • Galaxy A33
  • Galaxy A25
  • Galaxy A24
  • Galaxy A23
  • Galaxy A15
  • Galaxy A14
  • Galaxy A16
  • Galaxy A06
  • Galaxy Tab S10+
  • Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
  • Galaxy Tab S10 FE
  • Galaxy Tab S10 FE+
  • Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
  • Galaxy Tab S9 FE
  • Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (Wi-Fi, 5G)
  • Galaxy Tab S9+ (Wi-Fi, 5G)
  • Galaxy Tab S9 (Wi-Fi, 5G)
  • Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra (Wi-Fi, 5G)
  • Galaxy Tab S8+ (Wi-Fi, 5G)
  • Galaxy Tab S8 (Wi-Fi, 5G)
  • Galaxy Tab A9
  • Galaxy Tab A9+
  • Galaxy F55
  • Galaxy F54
  • Galaxy F34
  • Galaxy F16
  • Galaxy F15
  • Galaxy F06
  • Galaxy M56
  • Galaxy M55s
  • Galaxy M55
  • Galaxy M54
  • Galaxy M34
  • Galaxy M53
  • Galaxy M33
  • Galaxy M16
  • Galaxy M15
  • Galaxy M06
  • Galaxy XCover 7
  • Galaxy XCover 7 Pro

One UI 8 Release Date

Google has completed stability updates rollout and the Android 16 could launch in the first half of 2025, probably around June.

Android 16 Development Roadmap

Source – Google

On the other hand, the South Korean phone company is chasing an early launch date for One UI 8 and the closest unveiling could be July. New premium phones – Z Fold 7 and Z Fold 8 are also expected to be unveiled with One UI 8 pre-installed at the second Unpacked 2025.

The uncertainty started from One UI 7 has left no point of prediction an early Developer Conference, and we have a higher chance of seeing One UI 8.0 beta test on Galaxy S25 series before the latest foldable launch.

To conclude, we could say that one thing is clear that Samsung may release One UI 8.0 for all eligible devices faster than its predecessor thanks to the early Android 16 release.

Note

  • The above information is based on reports and leaks and not officially announced by Samsung
  • This information will be updated with new input