One UI 8 leaks: Looks the same as One UI 7 with only minor changes

Samsung is facing difficulties with its stable Android 15 based One UI 7 update and has paused the rollout for now. One UI 8 development, on the other hand, seems to be progressing thanks to Google’s early release of Android 16. Now, the latest leak that brings some images and screenshots of One UI 8 running on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 shows that the new OS might not be very different from the current one, and only bring minor changes instead. 

The leak comes from Smartprix that claims to have had some hands-on experience with an early One UI 8 build installed on a Galaxy Z Fold 6. The images show an almost identical interface to One UI 7 with a slightly different icon layout in the My Files app. The Gallery app seems to have received a similar optimization treatment. These minor changes suggest that Samsung is going for refinement over One UI 7 rather than upgrades.

SmartPrix also notes that the ‘Now Brief’ feature that was exclusive to Galaxy S25 series will come to other devices as well with One UI 8. Other than that, this initial build of the Android 16-based interface seems very similar to One UI 7. Of course, there will be more changes to the OS as time progresses and future builds may bring more significant improvements.

It was recently reported that Samsung had to halt its One UI 7 rollout because of a bug that was locking Galaxy S24 users out. Samsung did not really share a detailed explanation on why it was happening or when the rollout will resume. One UI 8, on the other hand, is expected to arrive with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 later this year.