Following the initial launch for its latest flagship models, Samsung is now expanding the One UI 8 beta program to a wider range of Galaxy devices. This move signals Samsung announces the expansion of its One UI 8 beta program bringing Android 16 to more devices in its current catalogue.that the company is moving closer to the public release of its next major software update. The expansion will allow more users to get an early look at One UI 8 and provide feedback to Samsung before the final version rolls out.
What to Expect from One UI 8
One UI 8 is expected to bring a host of new features and improvements to Galaxy devices. The update will include new AI-powered features for photo editing, text summarization, and live translation. There will also be a greater focus on personalization, with new options for lock screen customization and new widgets. Beyond new features, One UI 8 is also expected to bring significant performance improvements, better battery life, and enhanced security to all supported devices.
The Devices Getting the Beta
The beta program is being expanded to include a number of popular Galaxy devices, giving a large segment of users a chance to try out the new software. The devices that are being included are:
- Galaxy S series: Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra.
- Galaxy Z series: Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5 and Z Flip5.
- Galaxy A series: Galaxy A55, A35, A36 5G and A54.
- Galaxy Watch series: Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, Watch 6, and Watch 6 Classic.
One UI 8 Watch: Updates for All
Samsung has also confirmed that the One UI 8 Watch update will roll out to a wide range of older Galaxy Watch models before the end of the year. This is great news for owners of older devices. The update will be available for the Galaxy Watch 4, Watch 4 Classic, Watch FE, Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, Watch 6, Watch 6 Classic, and Watch 7. It will also be available for both Wi-Fi and LTE variants, as well as special editions. However, Tizen OS smartwatches will not be updated. While all of the aforementioned Wear OS-based Galaxy Watches will receive the update, older models will miss out on some of the latest features, such as “Antioxidant Index.”
The Not-So-Great News
While the expansion of the beta program is great news for many, it also brings some disappointing news for others. Noticeably missing from the list of eligible devices are the Galaxy S22 series and Fan Edition devices particularly the S24 FE and S23 FE. This exclusion has led to speculation that these devices will not receive the final One UI 8 update, which would be a blow to owners of these popular phones.
