Samsung's One UI 8.5 Update Brings New Galaxy S26 Features To Older Phones
Samsung's Galaxy S26 lineup has received an excellent reception so far. The company has improved on everything its S25 model was capable of, added a much stronger processor, and put in many new features exclusive to the S26. What caught most eyes is undoubtedly the Galaxy S26 Ultra's revolutionary Privacy Display (despite it having one frustrating flaw), but the entire S26 lineup comes with many other features as well.
Samsung is now sending One UI 8.5 to certain older smartphones, and according to some sources, this update will let users with older phones have access to many of the new features available in the Galaxy S26 phones. These features include AI Select, Audio Eraser, Call Screening, Creative Studio, and additional AI-based photo editing tools.
The primary source for this news is Tarun Vats, who made a Twitter/X post about what new features are coming and what phones are expected to get them. Vats is considered a credible source of Samsung-related news in the smartphone community, and regularly reveals new information.
Which features are being updated on older Samsung phones?
Call screening is like an upgraded Bixby Text Call. On previous Galaxy phones, you could have Samsung's AI assistant transcribe the incoming call and you could then type or choose a reply. With S26's Call Screening, your phone can automatically take calls from unknown numbers for you, ask what the caller needs, and then transcribe and summarize the entire call.
Smart Select is being replaced by AI select. This functions similarly to how it did on the S25, but is now quicker and has improved capabilities. Instead of taking a screenshot and then telling the AI what action to take, the AI acts immediately the moment you use the feature.
There's also an updated Audio Eraser that now functions system-wide and in real time, rather than something you can only use when editing videos. Apart from these, there's also the Creative Studio that can create AI-generated images and stickers for those into that. Similarly, Photo Assist lets you use generative AI to edit your pictures. This lets you remove or edit backgrounds, change lighting, add or remove objects, and much more.
Which Samsung phones will be getting these feature updates?
Vats also mentioned what phones are set to receive these features in the One UI 8.5 update. Every phone in the Galaxy S25 series lineup will be getting them. This includes the Galaxy S25, the S25 Plus, the S25 Ultra, and even the S25 FE.
The Samsung Galaxy S24, the S24 Plus, and the S24 Ultra will also be getting these features. Apart from the S-series phones, Samsung's older Flip and Fold phones are also getting the update, namely the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
It's important to note that this likely isn't a complete list of every phone getting the S26's updated features. Samsung itself has yet to make an official statement revealing all the phones included. With the One UI 8.5 beta likely becoming available in early May, we'll get a better idea if the Galaxy S23 series and the Galaxy A phones will get these features or not.