Android Central Labs
Android Central Labs is a weekly column dedicated to deep dives, experiments, and a targeted look into the tech you utilize. It covers telephones, tablets, and every thing in between.
The Samsung One UI 7 beta program is absolutely underway, having simply launched its second beta that is stuffed with bug fixes for all eligible Samsung Galaxy telephones. I have been utilizing it on my Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely and am already satisfied that is the perfect model of One UI Samsung has made in a really very long time.
The newest beta is all about fixing bugs, however there are such a lot of new options in One UI 7 that it is laborious to not sift via all of them to search out my new favorites. Samsung is doing lots to cater to long-time followers and people who dislike One UI by doing what it does finest: providing choices for each possible desire.
So, what’s it like to make use of One UI 7? Distinctive in most methods, fortunately.
A brand new UI
Proper off the bat, seasoned Samsung customers — and there are loads of you on the market — will instantly discover that Samsung has break up the notification shade by default. Because of this flattening on the appropriate facet of the standing bar brings up a full display screen of fast toggle buttons and sliders whereas swiping down on the left facet of the standing bar brings up notifications. It is precisely like an iPhone.
I can see lots of people getting actually pissed off with this new default habits, and I am undecided it is my favourite choice ever. On the brilliant facet, you’ll be able to shortly transfer between the 2 panels with a horizontal swipe, so it would not take a lot effort if muscle reminiscence kicks in and it’s essential to get to the opposite panel.
Fortunately, you’ll be able to change it again to the unique single-panel habits, however you may must hit the pencil button within the fast toggles pane and swap again over. It is a little bit bit hidden, and I feel Samsung must floor it a bit extra. I attempted the brand new break up pane for some time, however I actually do not prefer it, so I made the change again to the Android-style habits.
Lastly! A vertical app drawer by default!
The subsequent factor you may seemingly discover is the vertical app drawer. Sarcastically, whereas Samsung is copying Apple with the default break up notification pane, it is going with a extra Android-like expertise with the default app drawer format. In the event you do not like this, you’ll be able to change again by selecting the “customized” type order. It is a bizarre wording alternative and I feel Samsung wants to only change it to “vertical” or “horizontal” to keep away from confusion.
The brand new vertical drawer is great, although, and even has a scroll bar on the appropriate for shortly transferring between apps, all sorted alphabetically by default. The vertical app drawer is an enormous enchancment that makes One UI immediately really feel prefer it was developed within the 2020s moderately than the 2000s.
The brand new multitasking UI is SO MUCH BETTER than Google’s terrible default design in Android.
The third enormous factor you may discover is the brand new multitasking UI, which lastly permits you to see a couple of app tile at a time. As an alternative of spacing tiles out horizontally and making the center one take up most area, Samsung now arranges tiles in a 3D carousel so you’ll be able to peek behind and simply see apps forward as you scroll via the listing.
The lively app instantly strikes to the appropriate of the display screen so you’ll be able to shortly juggle between a number of apps. After all, this design is sort of equivalent to the iOS type of multitasking that has existed on iPhones for over a decade, and it is about time, too.
Google launched the previous horrendous format with Android 9, and I by no means understood why the corporate stored it for so long as it did. It isn’t a multitasking UI for those who can solely see one app at a time. This no less than does lots to repair that, even when it is a blatant iOS ripoff.
Good Lock is not prepared but, so what you see is what you get till then.
If you would like any of the opposite multitasking kinds, you may have to attend till Good Lock’s Dwelling Up module will get up to date for One UI 7 compatibility, seemingly after the ultimate OS launch, which is predicted in January.
Different refreshes across the OS embrace new icons, up to date fonts, a brand new battery indicator that appears tremendous swanky, and loads of new widgets you may positively need to mess around with. I notably love the countdown widget, which helps you to choose a selected date on the calendar and drop it on your property display screen to construct anticipation.
Not fairly nailing the sensation
Whereas the brand new UI modifications are principally constructive with just a few controversial choices, the “feeling” you get is one thing of a non-measurable class. If I examine One UI to one thing like OxygenOS 15, for example, Samsung’s consumer expertise nonetheless would not really feel like the perfect of the perfect.
Haptics, for example, nonetheless really feel weak and are sometimes lacking in necessary locations and it makes the expertise really feel so vacant in comparison with my OnePlus 12. Shifting the brightness slider or clearing notifications on a OnePlus telephone delivers satisfying haptics that make them really feel like bodily buttons or sliders, whereas Samsung’s UI would not vibrate or really feel responsive in any respect.
Animations in One UI 7 aren’t anyplace close to the caliber of OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus 12. As an example, whenever you set a timer and swipe residence on OnePlus’s OxygenOS 15, the app will “reduce” to the standing bar in an excellent slick method. If you click on the timer, it then warps and enlarges into the app whenever you click on it. That is higher proven in movement, which you’ll see beneath.
Samsung’s new animations nonetheless aren’t the identical caliber that may be present in OxygenOS 15, and haptics in One UI 7 nonetheless really feel vacant and hole.
Nonetheless, in One UI 7, the app simply slides down and away with none pomp. Clicking the stay notification timer within the standing bar simply opens the app in the usual method. No pizazz. Nothing enjoyable is occurring in any respect.
What I’ll say is that Samsung’s new Reside Notifications are a fantastic riff off of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island that I have been craving. However as an alternative of simply copying Apple, Samsung improved on the idea by making the notification “tablet” seem on the backside of the show the place it is most clickable.
You will see this new tablet on the always-on show or the lock display screen, making it straightforward to shortly pause that timer or take actionable info for a supported app. In any other case, the little tablet lives within the standing bar on high, so you’ll be able to see it always with out it taking over any extra room than the standing bar ever does. Bravo, Samsung.
Ten thousand options
As you would possibly anticipate from Samsung, the brand new options listing for One UI 7 is a mile lengthy. Whereas some beloved options have been eliminated, the brand new OS model is packed stuffed with belongings you would possibly solely use a handful of occasions however, finally, will discover helpful whenever you get the prospect to make use of them.
There’s one thing right here for everybody, even for those who solely end up utilizing it as soon as in a blue moon.
One instance is transferring all calendar entries to a brand new calendar as an alternative of getting to do it one after the other. In the event you’re sharing a file over Fast Share and it fails, you may now be provided the choice to switch it utilizing an web connection as an alternative of getting to redo the switch.
Notifications can even stack when an app provides you a bunch at a time. That is helpful for when you’ve got a number of Gmail accounts, for example, as you may get one occasion of Gmail within the notification shade however can simply swipe down on it to see every thing.
Even the digicam bought some love, though I am not tremendous loopy about every thing. The digicam has a 2x zoom button proper on the viewfinder, including to the listing of .6, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10x zoom choices to immediately get the place you need with out having to scroll. Samsung even added enjoyable new results for stay images so you’ll be able to shortly flip them right into a Boomerang or slow-motion preview of your picture.
Nonetheless a piece in progress
One UI 7 is not good, however I feel it is an enormous step in the appropriate course for Samsung. One UI has felt a bit dated for some time now and wanted some updating to really feel fashionable once more. I am glad to see Samsung not solely taking suggestions but additionally being keen to make much-needed modifications for UI parts which have been round for method too lengthy, like that horrible horizontal app drawer.
That is solely the second beta launch for One UI 7, and the subsequent launch of the beta is predicted to repair extra bugs that’ll seemingly crop up; plus, it might make just a few tweaks based mostly on consumer suggestions within the beta program. Most definitely, we’ll see the subsequent beta replace pop up earlier than the 12 months ends.
