One UI
Samsung One UI 8.5 Beta Expands to More Galaxy Devices: Full Details, Features and Availability
Samsung One UI 8.5 Beta Expands Globally
Samsung One UI 8.5 Beta is now expanding to more Galaxy devices, marking a significant step in Samsung’s software update strategy. Initially introduced for the latest Galaxy S series, the beta program is now reaching a wider range of smartphones, including older flagship models and foldable devices.
This expansion highlights Samsung’s commitment to delivering faster and more consistent updates across its ecosystem. With Android 16 as its base, One UI 8.5 focuses on refining performance, enhancing security, and improving the overall user experience.
Key Features of One UI 8.5 Beta
The latest beta introduces several improvements that aim to make Galaxy devices more efficient and user-friendly.
One of the major highlights is the integration of smarter AI-driven features that optimize daily tasks and system performance. Users can expect better app responsiveness and smoother animations throughout the interface.
Privacy and security have also been upgraded. The new version brings enhanced permission controls and improved data protection tools, ensuring users have more control over their personal information.
Additionally, Samsung has worked on refining system stability, reducing lag, and improving battery efficiency, which should deliver a more reliable experience during everyday usage.
Availability and Supported Regions
The One UI 8.5 Beta program is currently available in select regions, including South Korea, the United States, and Germany. Users in these regions can enroll through the Samsung Members app to access the beta update.
Samsung is expected to expand availability to more countries in the coming weeks, bringing the update closer to a global rollout. As with any beta software, users may encounter bugs or performance issues, so it is recommended to install it on secondary devices.
Conclusion
Samsung’s decision to expand the One UI 8.5 Beta program demonstrates its focus on long-term software support and faster update cycles. By extending early access to more devices, the company is not only improving user experience but also strengthening its position in the competitive Android ecosystem.
Also Read: NothingOS 4.1 Update on Nothing Phone (4a): Camera Improvements or a Step Back?
OxygenOS 16.1 vs One UI 9 is one of the most searched Android software comparisons in 2026, especially among users planning to switch between OnePlus and Samsung smartphones. Both Android skins offer extensive customization, AI-powered features, and unique user experiences, but they excel in different areas. In this comparison, we’ll break down the major differences between OxygenOS 16.1 and One UI 9 to help you decide which software provides the better stock Android customization experience.
OxygenOS 16.1 vs One UI 9: Which Offers Better Customization?
Samsung’s One UI 9 makes lock screen editing much more convenient by allowing users to customize everything directly from the lock screen. It also includes AI-generated wallpapers, animated wallpapers, weather effects, and intelligent frame suggestions for photos.
OxygenOS 16.1, on the other hand, requires users to access the customization menu through Settings. However, it compensates with premium theme collections, attractive depth effects, stylish clocks, and more personalized lock screen themes. While Samsung offers more AI-driven features, OxygenOS delivers a cleaner and more elegant visual experience.
Always-On Display and Fingerprint Experience
OnePlus clearly takes the lead in this department. OxygenOS 16.1 offers full-screen Always-On Display styles, multiple fingerprint animations, customizable fingerprint icons, and various personalization options that Samsung currently lacks.
The latest update also separates fingerprint icons and animations, allowing users to mix and match them independently for a more customized unlocking experience.
Home Screen Gets Smarter
One of the biggest additions in OxygenOS 16.1 is AI-powered home screen organization. Users can automatically arrange apps by category or icon color, restore previous layouts, enlarge app icons, and access app shortcuts directly from the home screen.
Samsung still offers widget stacking and a polished launcher, but it misses several advanced organization features that make OxygenOS feel more modern and productive.
App Drawer and Widgets
OxygenOS 16.1 introduces categorized app drawers along with a unique color-based app filter, making it easier to locate installed applications. Widgets also offer better animations and can even be renamed, adding another layer of personalization.
Samsung’s implementation remains simple and functional but lacks these additional customization options.
Control Center: Samsung Still Wins
This is one area where One UI 9 stays ahead. Samsung allows extensive Quick Settings customization, including flexible tile arrangements and layout adjustments. OxygenOS still provides only basic editing options, making Samsung’s Control Center more versatile for power users.
Final Verdict
If your priority is AI wallpapers, lock screen editing, and a highly customizable Control Center, One UI 9 remains an excellent choice.
However, if you value deeper personalization, smarter home screen organization, richer Always-On Display options, fingerprint customization, and a cleaner overall interface, OxygenOS 16.1 delivers the stronger stock Android customization experience. With its latest additions, OnePlus has narrowed the gap significantly and even surpassed Samsung in several key areas.
Also Read: OnePlus 11 July Update Review: OxygenOS 16.0.5 Brings Better Battery but No OxygenOS 16.1 Yet
OxygenOS 16.1 has emerged as one of the biggest software upgrades released by OnePlus in recent years. While Samsung recently introduced One UI 9 based on Android 17, a closer comparison shows that OnePlus has made significant improvements in animations, customization, lock screen functionality, and overall user experience.
OxygenOS 16.1 Delivers Smoother Animations
One of the most noticeable differences between the two operating systems is animation quality. OxygenOS 16.1 offers smoother app opening and closing animations, fluid folder transitions, refined widget interactions, and seamless scrolling throughout the interface.
Samsung has improved animations in One UI 9, but OxygenOS still feels faster and more polished during everyday use. Whether users are switching apps or interacting with the control center, the overall experience feels more responsive on OnePlus devices.
Enhanced Lock Screen and Live Activities
OnePlus has significantly upgraded its lock screen experience with OxygenOS 16.1. The new Live Activities system provides real-time information directly on the lock screen and Always-On Display.
Users can view timers, navigation details, music controls, and other ongoing activities without constantly unlocking the device. The implementation feels more interactive and useful compared to Samsung’s Now Bar, especially when viewing information in full-screen mode.
Better Home Screen Customization
Customization remains one of OxygenOS 16.1’s strongest areas. Users can resize app icons, create quick shortcuts, organize applications by category, and even arrange apps based on color using AI-powered tools.
The new layout management feature allows users to save and restore home screen setups instantly. Samsung offers customization options as well, but OnePlus currently provides greater flexibility and smarter organization tools.
Refined Control Center Design
Samsung deserves credit for offering extensive Quick Settings customization. However, OxygenOS 16.1 introduces visual improvements that enhance the overall experience.
The Contour Glow effect, improved transparency, stronger blur effects, and fluid pull-down animations create a premium interface. These subtle enhancements contribute to a modern design language that many users may prefer over Samsung’s approach.
AI Features: Samsung Leads, But OnePlus Is Catching Up
Samsung still holds an advantage in AI-powered features such as AI writing assistance, image editing, summaries, and on-device processing.
However, OnePlus has introduced several practical AI tools, including AI Translate, Mind Space, and an upgraded Document Scanner. The AI Translate feature is especially useful for travelers, allowing real-time translation of menus and text, even offline.
Final Verdict
While Samsung’s One UI 9 introduces useful improvements and maintains a strong lead in AI capabilities, OxygenOS 16.1 delivers a more complete day-to-day experience. From smoother animations and superior lock screen functionality to deeper customization and thoughtful usability enhancements, OnePlus has successfully raised the bar for Android software in 2026.
For users who prioritize performance, fluidity, and personalization, OxygenOS 16.1 currently stands out as one of the best Android interfaces available today.
Also Read: ColorOS 17 Leak Reveals Stunning Glass-Inspired Design and Dynamic Light Effects
Samsung One UI 9 Features Bring a Major Visual Redesign
Samsung One UI 9 features are finally here, and the latest Android 17-based update brings a major visual refresh along with several useful improvements for Galaxy users. Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 9 beta for the Galaxy S26 series, and the update introduces smoother transparency effects, redesigned widgets, upgraded AI tools, and multiple usability enhancements.
One of the biggest visual changes in One UI 9 is the improved transparency and blur effect across the interface. The lock screen, notification panel, control center, and app drawer now look cleaner and more premium compared to previous One UI versions. Samsung has clearly focused on giving the software a more modern appearance.
The control center also receives a noticeable redesign. The brightness and volume sliders are now thicker and easier to use. Samsung has separated the dark mode and sound tiles, allowing users to customize them individually. Users can now resize the music player directly from the edit menu, making the quick settings panel far more customizable than before.
Another interesting addition is the new glow animation inside the music player. The colorful glow effect dynamically changes according to album artwork colors, creating a more immersive visual experience. Samsung has also added new playback animations for pause, next, and previous controls.
Widgets have also been redesigned in One UI 9. Instead of vertical layouts, Samsung now uses horizontal widget sections that save screen space and improve accessibility. The gallery app gets smarter search functionality with a new “Highlight Keywords in Result” feature that highlights searched text directly inside images.
Samsung Notes receives a useful “Tape” feature that automatically straightens drawn lines within milliseconds. Users can customize thickness, patterns, and colors for better note organization. The Creative Studio app also adds multiple aspect ratio options including 9:16, 16:9, and 1:1, making content creation easier for social media users.
The My Files app has improved categorization for downloads, images, audio, documents, and videos. Samsung has also simplified the settings page by removing extra descriptions for a cleaner interface. Meanwhile, Samsung DeX now supports auto-hide functionality for the taskbar and status bar.
Although the update introduces several exciting changes, the current beta build still has minor animation inconsistencies and bugs. Since this is an early beta version, users may experience occasional UI glitches and performance issues.
Overall, Samsung One UI 9 appears to be one of the company’s biggest software upgrades in recent years. With enhanced customization, smarter AI integration, and refreshed visuals, the update significantly improves the Galaxy experience for Android users.
Also Read: Google Play Updates 2026 Bring AI-Powered Discovery and Better Android Experience