One UI 7 is based on Android 15, which launched in October last year – this means users of some of the best Samsung Phones from recent years, like the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S23 series, will have been waiting as long as half a year to get their hands on the update.
That’s quite a bit longer than customers of competing phone brands like Google and OnePlus have had to wait – the Pixel version of Android 15 and OnePlus’ OxygenOS 15 have been available for selected devices for quite some time already.
iPhones of course run Apple ’s own iOS software instead of Android, with Apple typically issuing updates to all eligible devices at the same time. This is all to say that Samsung’s One UI 7 release strategy has been pretty unconventional.
In the run up to stable release, Samsung has enabled new One UI 7 betas for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 folding phones . The Galaxy S24 series previously had access to the beta, while Galaxy S23 series users will need to wait another month according to Android Authority .
As we previously reported there’s a chance that Google will issue Android 16 in May , which could threaten to make One UI 7 feel outdated very soon after launch – not that there’s much Samsung can do about it now.
In total, all Galaxy S handsets (including FE models) dating back to the Galaxy S21 series will get One UI 7, as will Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models dating back to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 . A smattering of A-series devices and Galaxy Tab tablets will also get the update – PhoneArena has handily compiled a full list
So, now that the end of this long wait is in sight, what do Samsung fans have to look forward to? Read on for a quick recap of the five best new features in One UI 7.
Now bar
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Now Bar is Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Dynamic Island, but instead of a pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen, Samsung’s implementation exists as a pill-shaped bar that’s detached from any physical hardware.
The Now Bar lives on the lock screen of your Galaxy phone, and can display notifications, playing music, or other routines like timers and bespoke uses unique to specific supported apps.
Though not as omnipresent as the Dynamic Island or other Android live notification delivery implementations like OnePlus’ Dynamic Cloud, the Now Bar is a neat new way to keep an eye on your apps and activities.
New notifications
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
The way Samsung Galaxy phones handle notifications has changed with One UI 7. The Quick Settings and notifications tabs have been separated to reduce clutter, and now inhabit two distinct menus.
As Android Police notes, there’s also the new Filter Notifications tab in the settings app , that allows users to filter out minimized, old, or background notifications.
What’s more, notifications have a new look, with a rounded pill-box shape that fits with the rest of the newly updated UI.
Refreshed UI
(Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)
One UI 7 brings a new look to Galaxy, with refreshed stock icons, new smoother animations, and new widget styles.
There’s also a frosted glass effect found throughout the UI that gives a sense of dimension and smoothness to the overall experience, with rounded corners on most icons and tabs.
Aesthetics are, of course, subjective, but there’s no denying that One UI 7 looks sleek and modern compared to its predecessor, One UI 6 – whether it matches your personal taste is up to you.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
When Samsung revealed the Galaxy S25 series and One UI 7 at this year’s first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked showcase, the company put a strong focus on its new AI tools and features.
As SamMobile notes, some of these features will come to older Galaxy phones with the release of One UI 7 – the self-described Call Transcripts feature and Writing Assist tools are two prominent examples, and Android Police suggests Audio Eraser could come to older handsets too.
Some new Galaxy AI features, like the Now Brief, are specifically enabled by the S25 series hardware, so there’s a bit of waiting to be done before we know exactly what’s coming to older Galaxy phones.
Better adaptive charging options
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Adaptive charging allows your phone to monitor and adapt to your personal charging schedule to best preserve your device’s long-term battery health.
Most modern smartphones offer some kind of adaptive or hard-limiting battery preservation, but One UI 7 offers Galaxy users new depth in how they approach this feature.
With One UI 7, you can choose between three charging limiters – a basic limit that stops charging at 100% and restarts at 95%, an adaptive mode that stops charging at 80% until the phone predicts you’ll soon wake up, and a hard 80% limit.
Conventional tech wisdom suggests that lithium-ion batteries are best stored at between 20% and 80% charge, so these options should help you get a few more cycles out of your phone’s battery.
There you have it, five reasons to get excited for One UI 7 as we wait for it to finally launch in April. Will the wait be worth it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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