Android 15 has been out for a while for phones such as the Google Pixel, and yet, there’s a notable absence throughout the update rollout news cycle: Samsung. Now, the One UI 7 beta is finally arriving for Samsung phones, and it’s packed with a lot of changes.

Samsung has just released the public One UI 7 beta for its Galaxy smartphones. Samsung really likes to do big changes every year with every new One UI release, and for this specific release, it’s no different. One UI 7 boasts a redesigned interface with a new notification system and “Now Bar” for quick access to key information. This bar provides quick access to frequently used features like the interpreter, music player, and stopwatch, directly from the lock screen.

Samsung says that this is just the beginning of a more intelligent and evolving lockscreen experience. The company hasn’t settled with one UI design just yet, so while it finds something that works, it’s likely we’re going to see more UI changes in upcoming One UI releases as well.

The camera app also gets a UX overhaul with simplified controls and improved zoom functionality in Pro Video mode. The OS also comes with a host of new AI improvements such as advanced writing tools that help users summarize content, check grammar, and format notes. The update also introduces AI-powered call transcripts in 20 languages, eliminating the need for manual note-taking during calls.

The One UI 7 beta program kicks off on December 5th for Galaxy S24 users in select countries, including Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the U.K., and the U.S. Getting the first public beta builds in December is a lot later than usual, but Android 15 itself also released a bit late, so it kind of evens out. The official release is slated for the Galaxy S series in the first quarter of 2025, with other Galaxy devices receiving the update later on.

Source: Samsung