Past the Alphabet
Past the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world each in and out of the confines of Mountain View.
If there’s one factor we all know for certain, 2024 has been fairly odd with regards to software program updates. Google launched its new flagship lineup of telephones earlier than Android 15 was out, Apple introduced a bunch of options that will not arrive till at the very least March of subsequent 12 months, and we’re halfway via November with no signal of secure Android 15 for Samsung telephones. Nonetheless, with what little we learn about One UI 7, I can not assist however surprise if Samsung is following Apple’s instance in additional methods than one, and for higher or for worse.
For years, I abstained from even contemplating utilizing a Samsung telephone. I did not care how cool or “dependable” Samsung telephones have been as a result of the software program was simply so extremely terrible that it ruined every thing else for me. Nonetheless, that each one modified as soon as Samsung lastly moved away from TouchWiz in favor of One UI.
Not solely was TouchWiz packed to the gills with options, however there have been extra points than you may rely. I am truly grateful for the way dangerous it was as a result of in any other case, I may not have loved the completely different choices from LG, Motorola, HTC, and Google. Heck, if it weren’t for Samsung, I may not even be sitting right here writing these phrases.
However, right here we’re and Samsung is gearing as much as launch its first beta for One UI 7. Though it has been a bit over six years since One UI was initially unveiled, it shares one commonality with TouchWiz as Samsung nonetheless takes an “every thing however the kitchen sink” strategy to options.
I am not anticipating Samsung to actually add any “game-changing” options to the combination, however it does appear as if a UI overhaul is in retailer. Excluding a couple of variations right here and there, One UI has largely remained the identical since One UI 4 in 2021. This was based mostly on Android 12, which launched the Materials You design language.
Though Materials You arrived with One UI 4, it did not actually get absolutely carried out till One UI 5.
Samsung’s implementation with One UI 4 was half-baked, to say the least, however the firm rectified these points with One UI 5. That places us at about two years of utilizing the identical normal software program expertise, which means that we’re undoubtedly due for one thing new.
More often than not, I do not actually care about how the software program appears to be like on any telephone, not simply Samsung. Nonetheless, provided that it is taken Samsung this lengthy to truly launch the beta of One UI 7, I’ve grown a bit frightened that we may be in retailer for a little bit of a storm.
It actually wasn’t all that way back that Samsung was thought of among the many worst firms with regards to software program updates. That is modified lately, with the greatest Samsung telephones receiving updates sooner than every other telephone apart from Google’s Pixel.
I can not assist however really feel like there’s a bit little bit of writing on the wall with the One UI 7 replace, contemplating the beta has already been delayed a number of instances. And if it weren’t for a couple of leaky taps, we would not have any concept what to anticipate.
That being mentioned, we’re prone to see Samsung overhaul every thing and something, starting from icons and widgets to “smoother animations” and even a brand new Fast Settings panel. I’ve seen some options that Samsung is attempting to make One UI a bit extra like iOS, particularly with regards to animations.
Whereas I agree that animations might be higher, I may actually care much less about whether or not the software program appears to be like just like the Android equal of an iPhone. Why? As a result of I am simply going to obtain Good Lock, a couple of icon packs, and make my telephone look the way in which I would like it to anyway.
No, the larger downside right here is that Samsung can be rumored to be taking one other web page out of Apple’s ebook, however it’s not a very good one. As an alternative of asserting options once they’re prepared, Samsung may announce its newest batch of options, solely to delay a few of them till One UI 7.1.
When Apple launched the iPhone 16 collection, the corporate additionally leaned closely into the “Apple Intelligence” side. After all, this was simply part of the corporate’s preliminary advertising and marketing push, however there was one downside — lots of these options weren’t obtainable but.
Actually, there are some that we’re nonetheless ready for, as Picture Playground and ChatGPT integration with Siri is presently solely obtainable if you happen to’re utilizing the iOS 18.2 beta. In the meantime, the actually cool options, equivalent to Personalised Responses and On-Display screen Consciousness, aren’t anticipated to reach till March 2025.
So with out even figuring out every thing that Samsung has up its sleeve for brand spanking new options, I am conserving my fingers crossed that it would not journey down this similar path. If we’re certainly getting an overhauled UI, that is loads for Samsung to hold its hat on and promote. Then, the corporate can correctly announce its AI options after they’re absolutely baked and prepared for primetime.
A few of the rumored AI options embody issues equivalent to “AI Notification,” which summarizes your notifications. It has additionally been mentioned that Samsung will introduce new choices for its present AI options, equivalent to Sketch to Picture.
Given the fixed want for firms to determine methods to get AI into headlines, I think that Samsung will not take the reserved strategy. As an alternative, it can probably make the identical errors as Apple, which might be fairly comical if One UI finally ends up wanting like iOS.
I haven’t got a crystal ball and might’t see what the long run holds, so it is attainable that I am fully off base. Perhaps Samsung delayed the discharge of One UI 7 in order that it may launch every thing directly. Or possibly the plan all alongside was to launch the ultimate model alongside the Galaxy S25, however the lack of transparency and communication has let our imaginations go wild.
On the similar time, I am a bit frightened that Samsung is about to revert again to its outdated methods with regards to software program updates. Samsung might attempt to do an excessive amount of, which might end in delayed updates and half-baked guarantees.
Let’s simply hope it would not come to that and that that is only a blip on the radar.
