Android 16 is here for the Galaxy A53, but will it get One UI 8.5?

The Galaxy A53 is certainly showing its age by now. Even if it just received Android 16 and One UI 8.0 in the USA and other markets, the main thing setting it apart from the newer generation is the lack of AI features. But will the next big update change that?

Most certainly not, and either way, the bigger question is whether the Galaxy A53 will even receive another significant firmware upgrade. Android 16 is technically the fourth and last OS bump for the Galaxy A53. So is there anything more waiting Galaxy A53 users apart from a handful of security patches?

Well, the answer isn't as straightforward as we'd want it to be. Yes, technically speaking, the Galaxy A53 should get one more One UI update to One UI 8.5. But Samsung hasn't actually confirmed anything, and right now, the story could go one of two ways.

Both One UI 8.0 and One UI 8.5 are based on Android 16, and that's where things could potentially go sour for A53 users.

Logic dictates that the Galaxy A53 is eligible for One UI 8.5 once Samsung pushes it to the public next year. But at the same time, Samsung may very well count One UI 8.0 as the last big push for the device. It is Android 16 either way.

Technically speaking, Samsung wouldn't break its commitment to releasing four major Android OS upgrades by skipping One UI 8.5. The company has already covered those four major OS updates. The A53 went on sale with Android 12 and received Android 16 this year. That makes four OS versions.

That said, the Galaxy A53 could very well get One UI 8.5. Samsung has done this before. The Galaxy A52 and A51 both received one final minor One UI update (One UI 5.1 and 6.1, respectively) before reaching the end of the road, so if Samsung sticks to its usual playbook, the A53 should get One UI 8.5 too.

Either way, we'll keep you posted.