One UI 8.5 is an upcoming version of Samsung's custom Android skin, expected to be based on Android 16.
Release Date:
Samsung has not yet announced an official release date for One UI 8.5.
Reports suggest it will likely debut with the Galaxy S26 series in January or February 2026.
Following its initial release on the S26 models, it's expected to gradually roll out to other Galaxy flagships, tablets, and eventually mid-range and budget devices.
Anticipated Features:
While specific features for One UI 8.5 are still largely under wraps, here's what's being speculated:
Enhanced Galaxy AI functionality: Given Samsung's focus on AI, it's highly likely that One UI 8.5 will bring further advancements in AI capabilities, especially for the S26 series with its modern Exynos and Snapdragon chips. This could include smarter photo editing and other AI-powered features.
Improvements to "Now Brief": There are rumors of new information cards for the "Now Brief" feature, offering timely alerts and summaries such as parking spot reminders, smart home alerts, and wearable battery alerts. Users might also be able to customize these info cards.
Customization options: With Android 16 focusing on flexibility, One UI 8.5 might offer new lock screen widgets, slicker themes, and better ways to personalize the home screen.
Smoother performance: One UI 8 is already showing improvements in animations and overall snappiness, and One UI 8.5 is expected to build upon this for an even smoother user experience.
Foldable-optimized UI: As the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 will launch on One UI 8, One UI 8.5 is likely to fine-tune multitasking and other UI aspects specifically for foldable devices.
Security boosts: Google's Android 16 update includes features like post-theft lockdown, and Samsung is expected to enhance security with its own Knox-powered features.
It's worth noting that One UI 8.5 is seen as a significant mid-cycle update, with Samsung reportedly skipping the incremental x.1 updates and returning to the ".5" versioning. This suggests a more substantial set of changes compared to minor point updates..!
