Samsung has begun the rollout of its One UI software update to select Samsung TVs earlier than anticipated, as reported by SamMobile.
Following a recent announcement that Samsung would incorporate its One UI software design to its TVs – bringing them more in-line with how its phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24, look – the rollout of this software has begun, well ahead of the expected 2025 release date before.
In the report, SamMobile reports that the One UI update appeared on its Samsung S90C, one of the best TVs available, and it appears that other 2023 models are also receiving the update.
The One UI software update is said to run on Tizen 8.0 – Samsung’s 2023 TVs currently run on Tizen 7.0 – and while the One UI update will make cosmetic and design changes to Samsung’s TVs, the actual smart TV platform itself will remain as Tizen under the surface.
The other headline news about this update is that Samsung’s TVs will now get seven years worth of updates, meaning Samsung TVs from 2024 such as the Samsung S95D for example will receive software updates until 2031.
For some of the major changes and updates based on the One UI rollout, see below. It’s worth noting that these updates may vary by model, region and more.
One UI updates
As for the changes the One UI software update has made on the 2023 TVs, some key features include For You, Live and Apps tabs on the home screen – something 2024 Samsung TVs already have – that tailor recommendations based on recent viewing, as well as the inclusion of the Daily+ Hub for lifestyle management and health apps, similar to Samsung’s super useful Game Hub.
There’s also a new ‘Watch Later’ tab where users can save TV shows and movies to a list to watch at a later time. There’s a design change to the Game Bar to the latest version, too.
There’s also fitness improvements, as real-time data such as heart rate and calorie consumption can be tracked when you connect a Samsung Galaxy Smart Watch, such as the Samsung Galaxy Smart Watch Ultra, which we rate as one of the best smartwatches.
There are also app widgets and animation changes made to look and act like the One UI software in terms of design.
Samsung’s aim with bringing the One UI software to its TVs is said to be an attempt to unite all its products into one family, further expanding on its current SmartThings technology. But is this good news for Samsung TV owners?
One UI reservations
We’ve previously mentioned our reservations about the introduction of One UI to TVs as a regular criticism we’ve had of the One UI software in the past in our reviews of its phones is that its too overcomplicated, often hiding features that should be easily accessible.
While we have no qualms with Tizen as a smart TV platform, and have in fact praised its improvements over the years with the most notable being the ‘hub menu’ system, we’ve never found it to quite beat the likes of webOS, Roku TV and even Google TV in this year’s sets, finding Tizen isn’t as user-friendly.
So if One UI is something we’ve been critical of for not being user-friendly, is adding it to a smart TV platform that we’ve not found as user-friendly as rival smart TV platforms a step forwards or backwards?
We’re still in the very early stages of this rollout so we’ll have to see how One UI fares on the best Samsung TVs – here’s hoping it’s a long-term improvement.
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
