Five features I'm looking forward to the most in One UI 5

Source: Pocketnow

According to a new report, Samsung is expected to launch the One UI 5.0 beta program sometime in July. One UI 5 will be based on the latest Android 13 update, and it’s expected to roll out sometime in October to eligible devices, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra flagships. We have a list of devices that should support One UI 5, and here are the top five features we’re most looking forward to seeing in the upcoming software update.

SamMobile reports that Samsung is expected to release the public beta for One UI 5.0 in the third week of July. This means it could arrive a month before One UI 4 was released to the public beta testers. The official One UI 5.0 update could roll out to eligible devices – if all goes according to plan – sometime in October and before the end of the year.

These devices are expected to support One UI 5

These Galaxy smartphones and tablets should receive One UI 5, based on Android 13 in the near future (via SamMobile). Please note that none of these devices have been confirmed, and the list could change:

Galaxy S series

• Galaxy S22 Ultra
• Galaxy S22+
• Galaxy S22
• Galaxy S21 FE
• Galaxy S21 Ultra (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S21+ (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S21 (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S20 Ultra (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S20+ (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S20 (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S20 FE (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy S10 Lite

Galaxy Note series

• Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy Note 20 (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy Note 10 Lite

Galaxy Z series

• Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G
• Galaxy Z Flip
• Galaxy Z Flip 5G
• Galaxy Z Fold 3
• Galaxy Z Flip 3

Galaxy A series

• Galaxy A73
• Galaxy A53
• Galaxy A33
• Galaxy A71 5G
• Galaxy A71
• Galaxy A51 5G
• Galaxy A51
• Galaxy A52
• Galaxy A52 5G
• Galaxy A52s
• Galaxy A72
• Galaxy A Quantum
• Galaxy Quantum 2
• Galaxy A03s
• Galaxy A12 Nacho
• Galaxy A32
• Galaxy A32 5G
• Galaxy A22
• Galaxy A22 5G
• Galaxy A23
• Galaxy A13
• Galaxy A03

Galaxy M series

• Galaxy M42 5G
• Galaxy M12
• Galaxy M62
• Galaxy M22
• Galaxy M31
• Galaxy M32
• Galaxy M32 5G
• Galaxy M52 5G
• Galaxy M33
• Galaxy M23

Galaxy F series

• Galaxy F42 5G
• Galaxy F62
• Galaxy F12
• Galaxy F22
• Galaxy F23

Galaxy Xcover series

• Galaxy Xcover 5

Galaxy Tab series

• Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S8+
• Galaxy Tab S8
• Galaxy Tab S7+ (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy Tab S7 (LTE/5G)
• Galaxy Tab S7 FE
• Galaxy Tab S6 5G
• Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
• Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
• Galaxy Tab A8 10.5 (2021)

Better support for Material You

Source: Google

One UI 4 introduced Material You-based interface changes, but it didn’t feel like Samsung perfectly executed it. The Material You changes applied to most UI elements, and while I was happy that Samsung didn’t apply a similar interface to the Pixel’s layout, it felt like it was half-baked, and incomplete. In One UI 5, I hope these changes can be applied better and more noticeably.

Big screen optimizations

Source: Google

One UI 4 is the best platform for foldable devices, and as a Galaxy Z Fold 3 user, I’m excited to see what Android 12L and Android 13 will bring to the table to fix existing bugs in third-party applications. There are still a lot of apps out there that don’t optimize their layouts properly on folding devices and tablets, and I’m looking forward to seeing the new optimizations for these devices.

It also looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a slightly wider aspect ratio, making the internal and external displays more user-friendly. Hopefully, this will reduce the cut-off elements in some apps, and the software will better accommodate the display to resize the UI elements properly.

Improved notification control

Source: Google

Android still manages notifications better than iOS, and the controls and features have improved significantly over the years. Still, Android is ahead of the curve, and I’m excited to see a simplified interface for managing and allowing apps to send notifications.

Whenever I download an application or a game from the Play Store, I often reach for the phone, checking the spam notifications some of these apps send after a few hours. I usually disable the notifications for those apps, or uninstall the applications – depending on how intrusive they feel and act. Android 13 will pop up when you open an app, asking if you want to enable or disable notifications, simplifying the process and removing the headaches.

Per-App language setting

Source: Google

As someone who understands the struggle of learning a new language, I know what it feels like to use applications written in different languages. I have a lot of friends, and family members who don’t speak English, and having the option to change an application’s setting could make troubleshooting more straightforward.

Some applications are also not written in English, and it would be nice if these apps could automatically translate the UI elements and text to a language that is set by default on the device. This could reduce the need to toggle languages on an app basis and simplify the experience for non-tech savvy users.

New Media PlayBack UI

Source: Google

The Media Playback interface received major improvements in the past two years, and Google appears to be making even more changes in Android 13. In the new version of Android, the media player will show an animated wave during music playback, making it easier to see the track that’s been played. The current media playback interface on Samsung devices is excellent, making it look more fun and easier to see.

The album cover will also show up on the media player, improving the aesthetics and the overall feel of the user interface. I’m a big fan of these changes, and hope that Samsung decides to bring them over to Samsung devices.