Sometime this month or the next, Samsung will launch the One UI 7.0 Beta Program and invite Galaxy smartphone users in select countries to test the next version of One UI and Android 15.

Samsung will use feedback provided by beta testers to fix bugs and issues so it can get the final version of the Android 15 and One UI 7.0 update out as quickly as possible.

Not everyone will be able to test the new software, even if they own a device eligible for One UI 7 and Android 15. Only a limited number of Galaxy smartphones will be eligible for the beta program.

The latest flagships, like the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, are sure to be on the list, but what about other devices?

Galaxy phones that could get One UI 7.0 (Android 15) beta

Samsung has not officially revealed details about the One UI 7.0 beta as of August 2, but we can make an educated guess based on Samsung's long history of One UI beta programs. The following are the devices that have a high likelihood of getting the One UI 7.0 beta.

• Galaxy S24 series
• Galaxy S23 series
• Galaxy S22 series
• Galaxy S21 series
• Galaxy Z Fold 6
• Galaxy Z Flip 6
• Galaxy Z Fold 5
• Galaxy Z Flip 5
• Galaxy Z Fold 4
• Galaxy Z Flip 4
• Galaxy Z Fold 3
• Galaxy Z Flip 3
• Galaxy A55
• Galaxy A54
• Galaxy A35

Samsung may include more devices, particularly mid-range ones, in the beta program. However, Samsung doesn't follow a set pattern when it comes to bringing One UI beta updates to mid-range devices. We will have to wait and see what the company has in store this year.

For flagship phones launched in the last couple of years, One UI 7.0 will be preceeded by One UI 6.1.1. The time frame for the One UI 6.1.1 update's release is unknown as of August 2, but we expect it to go live sometime before September.

Be sure to bookmark this page so you can check back for any new information that becomes available in the coming days and weeks.

One UI 7.0 features: What to expect

One UI 7.0 will be among the biggest upgrades in years, especially as far as the user interface is concerned. Quite a few of the expected changes and new features have leaked online, and some of the major ones are listed below.

• New system app icons
• New background interface
• A new control area at the bottom of the lock screen
• Adjustment of shortcut icons (size?) in the left and right corners of the lock screen
• Pull-down shortcut bar and notification can be independent/merged
• The pill-shaped UI element in the upper left corner notification bar can display more apps
• Added interruptible animation and optimized app opening and closing animation curve
• New battery icon and charging animation bar
• New camera user interface
• Added support for 5G SMS messages
• New notification pop-up animations and closing animations
• Added unlock animation
• New button touch and page return animation
• Added many new desktop widgets of various sizes
• Added more lock screen widgets
• Added large folders

One UI 7.0 may not bring new Galaxy AI features. The new AI features from the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, which you can check out in the video below, will come to supported devices with the One UI 6.1.1 update.

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Samsung was expected to release the One UI 7.0 update last week, but that didn't happen. We reported that the company delayed the release, and the One UI 7.0 beta update will likely be released later this month. Ahead of that release, a massive leak has revealed many One UI 7.0 features.

Several One UI 7.0 features have leaked weeks before the release

Reliable tipster Ice Universe has posted (via Android Authority) a list of some One UI 7.0 features on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo. According to the tipster, One UI 7.0 has new app icons, a new background (wallpaper?) interface, and a new control area at the bottom of the lock screen. The lock screen shortcuts now seem to have bigger icons.

He also claims that the notifications area and the quick settings panel can be merged if the user wants to. Those pages can also stay independent (similar to One UI 6). There is apparently a pill-shaped animation that can display ongoing activities from more apps (like the timer). One UI 7.0 reportedly introduces a new animation while unlocking a device's screen.

Samsung has reportedly added animations that can be interrupted by the user (like opening an app from the home screen but stopping it by clicking the home screen). Moreover, the South Korean firm is said to have improved app opening and closing animations. The tipster said One UI 7.0 brings a new battery icon and a bar-shaped charging animation.

The South Korean firm seems to have added several new widgets (of various sizes) for the home screen and the lock screen. The tipster also claimed that One UI 7.0 will bring support for large-sized app folders on the home screen.

Ice Universe also confirmed that One UI 7.0 includes a completely redesigned camera app. The new version of One UI reportedly also supports SMS sending and receiving using the 5G network. There also seem to be new animations for notification pop-ups and closing animations.

Leaked One UI 7.0 features list:

• New system application icons
• New background interface
• A new control area at the bottom of the lock screen
• Adjustment of shortcut icons (size?) in the left and right corners of the lock screen
• Pull-down shortcut bar and notification can be independent/merged
• The pill-shaped UI element in the upper left corner notification bar can display more apps
• Added interruptible animation and optimized app opening and closing animation curve
• New battery icon and charging animation bar
• New camera user interface
• Added support for 5G SMS messages
• New notification pop-up animations and closing animations
• Added unlock animation
• New button touch and page return animation
• Added many new desktop widgets of various sizes
• Added more lock screen widgets
• Added large folders

Watch the leaked icons for the stock Clock and Samsung Internet apps in our video below. Those icons will be available with the One UI 7.0 update.

Samsung will likely open the One UI 7.0 Beta Program for the Galaxy S24 series before the end of this month. The beta program could be available in China, Germany, India, South Korea, the UK, and the US. However, the company's plans can change, so nothing can be said for sure right now.

The post Massive One UI 7 leak lists several upcoming features appeared first on SamMobile.

Google is working on improving and ironing out Android 15 for a release later this year. As usual, the new OS version introduces a handful of new features, some of which are not entirely original. Instant Hotspot is one such addition to Android 15, and fresh reports say it won't be coming to Samsung Galaxy devices.

First things first, what is Android's new Instant Hotspot feature? In short, it's a neat little tool that lets an Android tablet or Chromebook instantly connect to a phone's hotspot network.

f you use an Android tablet or a Chromebook without Wi-Fi in the vicinity of your phone, you'll see a pop-up asking you whether you want to use your phone's hotspot network, and the process is seamless.

It sounds convenient as much as it sounds familiar to Galaxy device users. And herein lies the apparent reason why Instant Hotspot isn't coming to One UI, Google says (via Android Authority).

Samsung's One UI already has something called Auto Hotspot

If it sounds like you've already encountered something like Google's Instant Hotspot on your Galaxy device, you probably have. Samsung's One UI boasts a feature called Auto Hotspot, which fulfills the same function as Instant Hotspot.

The difference is that Google's Instant Hotspot works with any Android tablet and Chromebook, whereas Samsung's Auto Hotspot only works with Galaxy devices, as long as they share a Samsung account or family group.

Story continues after the video…

On the bright side, Galaxy device users have had Auto Hotspot for some time, and the fact that they won't gain access to Google's version through Android 15 won't make much of a difference to their experience.

As long as you use Samsung Galaxy devices exclusively, you won't miss Instant Hotspot whatsoever. However, if you were hoping to utilize the Auto Hotspot feature in One UI with other Android tablet brands or a Chromebook, you might feel left out once Android 15 lands.

Editor's Note: Samsung might have had to choose between keeping its in-house Auto Hotspot One UI feature — which it developed before Google created Instant Hotspot — or ditching a feature Galaxy device users already have in favor of Google's alternative. 

It's understandable why Samsung might not be keen on abandoning Auto Hotspot and why it might not want to overcomplicate the user experience by offering both hotspot features at the same time.

However, seeing how Google's Nearby Share and Samsung's Quick Share have merged, maybe Samsung's Auto Hotspot will eventually merge with Google's Instant Hotspot.

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