Samsung has started expanding One UI 8.5 to more Galaxy phones and tablets, bringing features that first arrived with the Galaxy S26 series in February 2026. The rollout has begun in Korea, with other regions set to follow later, depending on market and device model.
Which older Galaxy devices are getting One UI 8.5?
The update is headed to the Galaxy S25 series, Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Tab S11 series, and Galaxy Tab S10 series. For users holding on to these older flagship phones and tablets, One UI 8.5 brings Samsung’s latest Galaxy AI tools without requiring an upgrade to the newest hardware.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
What new AI features come with the update?
One UI 8.5 adds several communication and productivity tools that were not part of One UI 8.0. Eligible devices will get access to AI Call Screening, which can answer unknown callers on the user’s behalf, ask about the reason for the call, and show a live transcript so users can decide whether to pick up. Live voicemail transcripts is another new feature which let users read messages in real time while they are being recorded.
Samsung has also added a new productivity feature to its keyboard called Now Nudge. It can suggest calendar entries, useful facts, or relevant actions based on the active chat, helping users act on information without switching apps. Bixby has also been upgraded with more agentic capabilities, allowing it to handle multi-step tasks across apps. For example, it can find a specific photo and email it to a contact.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, typing in a Generative Edit prompt. Tom Bedford / Digital Trends
The update also adds new AI photo editing tools with the Creative Studio app and Text-to-Edit Photo Assist. Instead of editing photos manually, users can simply type what they want changed, like a new background or extra objects. Another feature, called Object Transfer, lets users move people or objects from one photo to another directly in the gallery.
For personalization, the update has AI Weather Effects, which add dynamic lock screen wallpaper animations based on local weather conditions like rain or snow. As usual, Samsung says availability and feature support may vary by region, market, and device model.
