Samsung’s next big Galaxy Unpacked event is just around the corner, and leaks suggest that the company plans to launch the highly anticipated Galaxy S26 series later this month. The next-generation flagships are expected to launch with the latest version of One UI 8 based on Android 16 QPR2 and Samsung has already started beta testing the software on the Galaxy S25 series.
The company launched the One UI 8.5 beta program for the Galaxy S25 series last month and has since released a second beta with a host of bug fixes and performance improvements. Samsung is expected to release a few more beta updates before the stable version is available for the Galaxy S25 range, and we now have an idea of when the next update might reach beta testers.
According to a recent post by tipster Tarun Vats on X (via SamMobile), Samsung could release the third One UI 8.5 beta for the Galaxy S25 series early next week. The update could be released on January 5th or 6th, but there is no information about what changes or fixes it will contain.
One UI 8.5 could be a useful update for Galaxy users
Samsung is expected to unveil the stable One UI 8.5 alongside the Galaxy S26 series later this month or early February. The update should then also make its way to older devices, starting with last year’s flagship series.
Based on the information from leaked internal releases and recent beta builds, One UI 8.5 is expected to introduce several new features. These could include new AI-powered image editing tools, expanded home and lock screen customization options, a smarter Bixby assistant with Perplexity, and an innovative Privacy Display feature designed to help users hide screen content from prying eyes.
