One big reason I'm excited about the Galaxy S26 launch

The Galaxy S26 series is almost here, and like many Samsung fans, I’m excited. But I’m not just excited to see what the new phones will bring. I’m looking forward to what the S26 launch means for everyone else.

Once the Galaxy S26 becomes official, we will be one step closer to the final version of One UI 8.5 making its way to current Galaxy phones. At least for now, that likely means the Galaxy S25 lineup, as Samsung hasn’t said if the beta will expand to other devices.

Of course, things could still take some time. The Galaxy S26, which will run One UI 8.5 out of the box, will be unveiled on February 25. Samsung will then take a couple of weeks to put the new devices on retail shelves.

Only after that is Samsung likely to release the stable version of One UI 8.5 more widely, which means we’re probably looking at another month or so of waiting.

Still, it will be an important milestone on the road to that stable One UI 8.5 update, at least for the Galaxy S25 lineup. Others may have to wait longer.

That said, the S26 launch could be a turning point for them as well. Samsung hasn’t provided a timeline for expanding the beta program, and it hasn’t clearly confirmed that it will happen.

But once the new flagship goes on sale, Samsung will have little reason to keep its plans unclear. One way or another, we should finally get a clearer picture of what’s next for One UI 8.5 across the rest of the Galaxy lineup soon.