Samsung’sโฃ One โฃUI 8.5 Update โSignals a Major Shift, Paving โฃthe Way for a Transformative Galaxy S26 โExperience
PARIS – Samsung โขis poised to deliver a software update thatโฃ may proveโ more impactfulโ than any hardware upgrade, with โthe upcoming One UI 8.5 rollout – initially slated for the Galaxy S25 beta by โthe end of the month โ- focusing heavily on artificial intelligence andโ ecosystem integration. This update isn’t just incremental; it representsโ a essential shift in Samsung’s strategy, aiming to compete directly with theโข AI capabilities of Google’s Gemini and ChatGPT, and mirroring Apple’s seamless device connectivity. โคThe stable version is expected in spring 2026, coinciding with the โrelease of the โ Galaxy S26.
The coreโ of the update revolvesโ around a revitalized Bixby. Farโฃ from being abandoned, Samsung is reimagining its voiceโข assistant โas a true AIโข chatbot capable of understanding natural language and interpreting user โ intent rather than relying on rigid commands. Users will be able to โaccessโ and chain together previous queries via a dedicated side โขpanel. The success of thisโ overhaul, andโข howโค Bixby will function alongside โฃGoogle’s Assistant, remains to โbe seen.
Beyond voice assistance,โค AI is alsoโฃ being integrated โคinto content โฃcreation with continuousโค imageโฃ generation through Photo-Assist. Thisโ feature allows users to see โฃimages evolve in real-time asโฃ they add elements, offering โขa technically impressive, though yet-to-be-proven, daily utility.
However, theโฃ most important change may be Samsung’s newfound focus on ecosystem โconnectivity. One UI โข8.5 introduces Storage Sharing, allowing the “My Files” submission on the S25 to access files directly fromโ Galaxy Book tablets and PCs. This extends even further, enabling accessโฃ to โphone files from Samsung televisions running TizenOS – a feature โlong sought after by Android users seekingโข the โfluidity found inโข Apple’s ecosystem.
Furtherโค enhancing connectivity, Auracast functionality is expanded beyond music streaming,โ allowing users โto โbroadcast their โvoiceโฃ to compatible devices โขusing their phone’s microphone. โ Productivity is โalso addressed with improvements to Samsung โDeX, which will now remember window sizesโค and positions uponโ reopening, resolving โa long-standingโ user frustration.
The update also includes โadvancements in โขhealth โandโข security. The Galaxy Watch 8 and a new Watch ultra model, mentioned in theโฃ changelog,โ areโค expected to gainโค the ability to measure users’ antioxidant levels โฃunder One UI 8.5. security is bolstered with an anti-theft โfeatureโฃ thatโ automatically โขlocks the screen after multiple โฃfailed biometric authentication attempts, a directโ response to “body snatching” theft โtactics.
Samsung is addressing user feedback regarding battery monitoring, withโ a redesigned interface for โค battery statistics that bringsโฃ back aโ clearer view of weekly consumption, following the removal of the previously criticizedโข “As last โcharge” graph.
This updateโค signals aโข clearโ message: Samsung isโ prioritizing โขsoftware and ecosystem โintegration as key differentiators, setting the stage for a potentially groundbreakingโข experience with the Galaxy S26.