A major Samsung One 8.5 UI leak may have revealed the next big software update headed for your Galaxy phone

One UI 8
One UI 8 is already on Samsung's newest foldables (Image credit: Samsung)

  • Images of Samsung One UI 8.5 have leaked
  • Some visual changes and flourishes are visible
  • It's not clear when the software may roll out

With the Samsung One UI 8 update (based on Android 16) now rolling out to Galaxy phones and tablets worldwide, we've got what looks to be a sneak preview of the big One UI 8.5 update that's going to be on the way next.

Pictures of the software have appeared on SammyGuru, and show some significant changes to the user interface. The Settings pages have more compact menu items, the search bar is down at the bottom, and there are gradient effects at the edges.

With a few drop shadows added too, the overall impression is of an interface that's a little easier on the eyes, and with a bit more in the way of visual flourish. Other tweaks include a back button that floats over the rest of the interface.

As pointed out by SammyGuru, some of these changes are somewhat similar to what we've seen from Apple with iOS 26, but the imitation isn't too egregious – this still looks very much like a mobile operating system made by Samsung.

Leaks and betas

Samsung One UI 8.5 Brings iOS 26 Inspired Design To Galaxy Smartphones - YouTube Samsung One UI 8.5 Brings iOS 26 Inspired Design To Galaxy Smartphones - YouTube
Watch On

What we don't get here are any indications of new features or functions that might be introduced with One UI 8.5. Given that the version number is only jumping up by 0.5, we might not see much in the way of upgrades.

Before an official rollout and beta testing phase, we'll no doubt see several leaks too: Android Authority has already spotted a One UI 8.5 feature that seems designed to prevent seizures caused by photosensitive epilepsy.

There's also no indication yet as to when this software might start appearing on phones and tablets, though Samsung has increased the pace of its One UI updates in recent months – with OneUI 8 following on quickly from One UI 7.

The One UI 8 software made its debut with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 foldables, and is rolling out now to Galaxy S25 handsets. After that, it'll make its way to older devices over the coming weeks.

You might also like

TOPICS
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.