Samsung plans to skip smaller updates for its next flagship phones, coming early next year. The company will jump from One UI 8.0 straight to version 8.5 on the Galaxy S26 models. Code found in system components shows no sign of version 8.1, suggesting Samsung wants to focus on major improvements instead. The 8.5 update will bring important feature upgrades with significant visual changes.
Samsung struggled with timing when releasing One UI 7. This delay forced the company to rethink its update schedule for future devices. One UI 8 will first appear on Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 phones later this year. These updates will run on Android 16, which Google plans to announce next month at its developer conference. Public release of Android 16 should happen around June.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will arrive with advanced AI features to compete against the Apple iPhone 17 Pro models. Google might create special features just for Samsung devices. These software changes aim to keep Samsung competitive in the premium smartphone market. Users can expect major improvements rather than small incremental updates. The strategy helps Samsung maintain its traditional release schedule despite previous delays.
Samsung struggled with timing when releasing One UI 7. This delay forced the company to rethink its update schedule for future devices. One UI 8 will first appear on Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 phones later this year. These updates will run on Android 16, which Google plans to announce next month at its developer conference. Public release of Android 16 should happen around June.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will arrive with advanced AI features to compete against the Apple iPhone 17 Pro models. Google might create special features just for Samsung devices. These software changes aim to keep Samsung competitive in the premium smartphone market. Users can expect major improvements rather than small incremental updates. The strategy helps Samsung maintain its traditional release schedule despite previous delays.
