With one day left before Google formally announces Android 14, Samsung is showing signs of testing One UI 6.0 on a handful of flagship phones. New evidence suggests that Samsung is testing a new big One UI update internally, and of course, everyone’s thinking about One UI 6.0.
Twitter user @tarunvats33 spotted the first One UI 6 test build on Samsung’s servers earlier today. The firmware is meant for internal testing on the Galaxy S23 Ultra and carries the identification S918BXXU1BWE2.
Samsung is also testing One UI 6.0 on its latest foldable phones
In addition to the Galaxy S23 series, we also found evidence that Samsung is testing One UI 6.0 internally using the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 test firmware has the F936BXXU2DWE1 identification, while the Galaxy Z Flip 4 test update carries firmware version F721BXXU2DWD7.
In theory, this should mean that the Galaxy S23 series and the 2022 foldable flagship phones will be the first to enter the Android 14 beta testing program later this year and could also be the first to receive the stable One UI 6.0 update.
If you’re new to the world of Samsung firmware and Galaxy devices, One UI 6.0 will be based on Android 14. Samsung’s proprietary software is expected to borrow some features from the Android 14 update Google should unveil in full tomorrow at its I/O conference.
As to why these S918BXXU1BWE2, F936BXXU2DWE1, and F721BXXU2DWD7 firmware versions are believed to be associated with One UI 6.0, the secret lies in the fourth to last digit. The Galaxy S23 test firmware bumps the letter A (seen on the latest public firmware) to a B. Likewise, the test firmware for the Galaxy Z foldable phones has jumped from the letter C (public firmware) to a D (internal test firmware).
As explained in our detailed Samsung firmware guide on what this string of seemingly random letters and numbers means, a change in the fourth to last digit represents a new big One UI update. And while there is a small chance that the test build is based on One UI 5.1.1 rather than One UI 6.0, the timing of it all seems to coincide with the imminent Android 14 unveiling, so we’re leaning more toward the latter version.
