If you’ve been around Samsung smartphones long enough, you’ll know that before One UI, there was another operating system. The jump from TouchWiz to the OS we currently have was substantial (and a massive improvement). Now, the South Korean company is reportedly preparing a similar change for its One UI 10 launch next year.
The folks at Nokia Power User have a lengthy report on what’s in store for Samsung’s smartphones, provided by an unnamed insider. Prolific leaker Ice Universe has confirmed the “unprecedented” nature of what’s coming to the company’s mobile operating system.
Samsung upgrade
Most of what the company has in store sounds like streamlining. Something called Contextual Flow will merge popular features into a single location, meaning there are fewer apps to open and swap between. Samsung will also prioritise “cognitive load reduction,” reducing the number of times you need to tap an app to get somewhere. There’s also better device interoperability in store, letting users go from phone to watch to tablet more seamlessly.
Which all sounds like the South Korean company pushing harder into letting AI take over workload and interactions. It also suggests a lot fewer app icons. The now-standard grid design could well be going away, too. It’s not just driven by a need for something fresh in terms of interface, but the redesign should accomplish that. (How well it accomplishes it, we’ll have to wait and see.) There is also at least one ulterior motive.
Samsung has long been rumoured to be planning a subscription fee for some of its AI functions. Reorganising its phones, tablets, and watches around this makes this a little easier to execute. The company is said to be working on balancing this, so nobody feels forced to sign up for a monthly sub. The main One UI experience will, in theory, remain free. Nokia Power User reckons that “specialized, high-compute third-party integrations and advanced processing tools” could require a little extra cash in Samsung’s coffers… likely once a trial period has ended.
Based on the report, you needn’t expect it any time soon. One UI 9 just launched with Samsung’s 2026 foldables, so the soonest it’ll turn up is August next year. There’s also speculation that the redesign might be held until 2028, when the Galaxy S28 launches. Our money is on the Galaxy Fold 9 being the release candidate, however. The range is costly enough. Buyers might look more kindly on an operating system with subscription elements.
