Samsung announces unexpected upgrade for its next foldables, ahead of “summer” launch
For now, users can test it out via the Galaxy S25, S25+, and Ultra, if they are in Germany, Korea, the UK, and the US. #samsung #galaxyzflip7 #galaxyzfold7 #foldables #phones
One UI 8 beta. Image: Samsung.
Samsung has just announced two key developments in a single announcement. It has confirmed the arrival of One UI 8 and the brand’s upcoming foldable smartphones.
One UI 8? Already?
One UI 8. Image: Samsung.
As seen on Samsung’s Newsroom, Samsung announced that it will start early access to its upcoming One UI 8 beta. In the same breath, the Koreans also added that One UI 8 will debut right out of the gate with its “newest foldables this summer”, rather than letting One UI 7 run a little longer.
One UI 8 uses Android 16 as its base operating system, both of which are still in development and not yet ready for public use. Android 16’s first beta began in January and was scheduled to have an ambitious “major SDK release” in Q2 2025. In its current form, it’s still testing things out with Beta 4.1, which was released only weeks ago (on 13 May 2025).
Typically, a major Android version update is released in late Q3, which makes Android 16 significantly expedited.
Samsung said that One UI 8 will contain “an AI experience that will make your everyday smarter and more convenient”, citing updated user experiences (UX) that’s compatible with its broader range of Galaxy devices with “unique form factors”. Besides the foldable form factor, previous rumours have gone so far as to suggest a limited-edition triple-folding phone.
Samsung will also be doubling down on Now Bar and Now Brief, two major features that helm the current One UI 7 experience. While the brand said it will make these two features “more customised” through AI curation, they didn’t specify what sort of added benefits the updated version will offer.
Samsung One UI 8 beta is going to its Galaxy S25 series phones first. Image: Samsung.
One interesting software feature is the ability to choose between data processing only on-device in the Settings, but Samsung also left it at that.
To try out the beta version of One UI 8, you can sign up for it via the Samsung Members app. However, the current beta stage requires the user to be based in Germany, Korea, the United Kingdom, or the United States. They also need to be using a Samsung Galaxy S25/S25+, or a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Next-generation foldable Samsung phones
As seen above, Samsung stated that One UI 8 will debut on “Samsung's newest foldables this summer,” which references its upcoming Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7. The software upgrade will be gradually expanded to other Galaxy devices.
This confirms that Samsung will continue to launch two types of foldables, even if rumours imply there might be more than two models available. They are also coming soon, seeing how “summer” typically refers to the northern hemisphere’s June-August period, with its hottest peaks occurring in July.
Source: Samsung (newsroom)
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