How Galaxy S26 series is losing a software advantage before it even launches

For a long time, Samsung’s Galaxy S phones had a clear software advantage. They were usually the first Samsung flagships to launch with a brand new version of One UI and Android out of the box. That’s changing with the Galaxy S26 series.

This shift comes down to how quickly Samsung developed One UI 8, based on Android 16. Development moved fast enough that Samsung was able to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 with One UI 8 already installed.

Traditionally, major One UI updates tied to new Android versions arrived in the last three months of the year. That timing meant that Samsung flagships launched in the second half of the year launched with older software. As a result, the next Galaxy S model became the first device to ship with the new software out of the box.

One UI 7 was already an exception to Samsung’s usual software timeline. The Galaxy S25 series launched before the update reached older Galaxy S flagships. In previous years, those devices would already have received the new One UI version via an over-the-air update.

Things are now changing further. The Galaxy S26 series won’t be the first Samsung flagship to come with One UI 8 and Android 16. It will, however, be the first to ship with One UI 8.5.

One UI 8.5 isn’t a major update, as it’s still based on Android 16, but it’s bringing noticeable visual changes to the interface and Samsung’s apps. That should still make the software feel fresh on the Galaxy S26 series.

What will be interesting to see is whether One UI 8.5 rolls out to existing devices before the Galaxy S26 goes on sale. Its beta program launched around the same time as the One UI 7 beta last year, but since it isn’t based on a newer Android version, there’s a good chance it will reach at least the Galaxy S25 lineup before the S26 is officially announced.

That's unless the Galaxy S26 series debuts with a large number of new Galaxy AI features. Samsung is unlikely to bring those features to existing flagships before the S26 goes on sale. And since it wouldn’t make much sense to deliver those AI features in a separate update later, Samsung would likely delay the rollout of One UI 8.5 to existing devices until after the Galaxy S26 series is officially launched.