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This is the software experience that will power Samsung’s foldable smartphone

Published Dec 14th, 2018 12:52PM EST
Galaxy F vs. Galaxy S10
Image: Samsung

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Last month, Samsung unveiled a bunch of new things it’s working on, including the new Infinity displays created for the Galaxy S10 and foldable phone. The company also gave us a quick preview of its first foldable phone. But Samsung took its time to unveil the software experience it created for the next generation of mobile devices, including the upcoming foldable handset. Samsung obviously doesn’t develop the software of its Android devices, but it does customize the user interface that’s on top of it. The company’s new interface will be called One UI moving forward, and Samsung just released a video to show it off.

If you watched the SDC18 keynote in November, then the following video will look quite familiar. That’s because it’s the same clip Samsung showed on stage. It’s a short clip meant to briefly explain Samsung’s new UI design philosophy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3LVk0i6bY4

Samsung is going for a simple user interface that emphasizes utility. One UI should put important information front and center and offer users easier ways of interacting with the content on the screen, whether it’s notifications, menus, or apps. The new UI comes with both a light and a dark mode, as well as new design lines. Samsung users will quickly notice the UI changes compared to their current experience.

The best thing about One UI is that it’s not just shipping on new devices like the upcoming Galaxy S10 phones or the Galaxy F foldable phone. Samsung is porting it over to all the phones that will be updated to Android 9.0 Pie. That probably explains why Samsung took this long to post the video above on YouTube. Pie is already available in beta for Galaxy S9 and Note 9 users, complete with One UI on top. The final Pie updates for Samsung’s 2018 flagship phones should be released in the coming months.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.