Owners of the company’s Galaxy S25 phones can get an early look at One UI 8 (based on Android 16) in the new open beta program.
The software is compatible with the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra—the new S25 Edge need not apply (for now).
The Galaxy S25 series launched with a feature called Now Brief, along with a companion widget called Now Bar.
The app does seem capable and straightforward, but it’s hardly something that should be getting top billing in an OS update.
Given the disappointing state of Galaxy AI at the S25’s launch, it’s troubling there’s not more to care about in the Android 16 update so far.
Although it will take longer for devices from other manufacturers to receive the new operating system, the next version of Android is anticipated to arrive on Pixel phones in June. On the other hand, Samsung is doing exceptionally well this cycle. One UI 8 (based on Android 16) is now available to owners of the company’s Galaxy S25 phones through a new open beta program. Although Samsung claims to have many upgrades, it might not feel that way.
It is very easy to sign up for the beta; simply launch the Samsung Members app, and the signup link ought to be located directly on the main landing page. Within a few minutes, the OTA update ought to show up on your device. It’s quite large at 3 to 4 GB, but it installs quickly and shouldn’t impact any of your data. Nevertheless, whenever beta software is being used, backups are always recommended.
Joining the beta requires that you be in the US, Germany, Korea, or the UK and that your US phone or T-Mobile variant be unlocked. The new S25 Edge does not need to use the software (for now) because it works with the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.
More AI is Samsung’s big pitch, but not everyone will find it compelling. However, the exact meaning of that is a little ambiguous. The company asserts that One UI 8 offers “personalized, proactive recommendations, multimodal capabilities, and UX tailored to various device form factors.”. It appears that Samsung’s AI implementation hasn’t changed much after a few hours of using the new OS.
Along with a companion widget called Now Bar, the Galaxy S25 series debuted with a feature called Now Brief. Your data will be absorbed by this interface, processed in private within the Samsung Knox enclave, and helpful recommendations will be generated. It usually doesn’t. Samsung claims that One UI 8 will enable Now Brief to provide more individualized, tailored insights, but it appears to accomplish only a few of the same tasks as before. Many Samsung apps and data sources are connected to it, but it primarily displays news articles, calendar events, and weather data that you are unlikely to find interesting. A future audio version of Now Brief was hinted at, but it was not part of the beta.
However, Samsung does promise some non-AI improvements. In One UI 8, Auracast, a Bluetooth LE technology that facilitates device pairing, has been improved. Many Bluetooth devices, such as earbuds and hearing aids, will be able to stream audio from your phone once the update is installed. Pairing will be quick with QR code scanning. Quick Share can also be activated more quickly from the Quick Settings, which makes sense.
Additionally, Samsung says that the new Reminder app, which is integrated into the OS, is “easy-looking even for first-time users.”. Although the application appears to be simple and capable, it is hardly worthy of receiving top priority in an OS update.
Although there may be more features in the final One UI 8 update, Samsung’s decision to make the beta widely available suggests that this is most likely almost complete. Given the unsatisfactory state of Galaxy AI at the launch of the S25, it’s concerning that the Android 16 update doesn’t offer any additional features.
Samsung claims that a “new rhythm” for its software development has begun with this update. That means it will continue to release two significant Android updates annually, the first of which will make significant changes and the second of which will improve APIs and features. This is Google’s new goal. Samsung also announced that its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 will ship with One UI 8 pre-installed this summer.
