Samsung’s next big Galaxy Unpacked event is right around the corner, with leaks suggesting that the company plans to launch the hotly anticipated Galaxy S26 series later this month. The next-gen flagships are expected to arrive with the latest build 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 kicked off the One UI 8.5 beta program for the Galaxy S25 series last month, and has since released a second beta build with a host of bug fixes and performance improvements. Samsung is expected to push a few more beta updates before the stable version rolls out to the Galaxy S25 lineup, and we now have an idea of when the next update could reach beta testers.
According to a recent post from tipster Tarun Vats on X (via SamMobile), Samsung might release the third One UI 8.5 beta for the Galaxy S25 series early next week. The update could roll out on January 5 or 6, though there’s no word on what changes or fixes it will include.
One UI 8.5 could be a meaningful update for Galaxy users
Samsung is expected to debut stable One UI 8.5 alongside the Galaxy S26 series later this month or in early February. The update should then make its way to older devices, starting with last year’s flagship lineup.
Based on the information seen in leaked internal releases and the 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 lockscreen customization options, a smarter Bixby assistant powered by Perplexity, and an innovative Privacy Display feature designed to help users keep on-screen content hidden from prying eyes.
