Android 15 is the next major Android version that we can expect from Google, and leading up to its launch, there have been three betas so far, accessible to solely Google Pixel users. At Google I/O in May, other manufacturers were finally allowed to start launching the Android 15 betas for their respective devices.
That was back in May and Samsung was nowhere to be seen with its own beta, even up until now. However, we’ve finally heard the news that the One UI 7 (Samsung’s custom take on Android 15) is likely to have its beta made available in a matter of days, and with that, we’ve seen a leak showing us some significant design changes.
One UI 7 Is Going To Be Changing Up A Lot Of Things; Not All For The Better
I won’t say that I prefer One UI to stock Android because then I’d be lying. However, I do think that it is a relatively good-looking Android UI with a whole lot of customization potential. With One UI 6.1, I’ve gotten used to the design elements and I think it looks the best it has ever looked (and certainly a lot better than Samsung’s oft-teased TouchWiz did).
However, a leak from SmartPrix and chunvn8888 gives us a look at some aspects of One UI 7 (and some descriptions of others) and it won’t take you more than a few seconds to recognize how different it looks. Personally, when it comes to some of the more substantial design changes, I am far from being a fan of them.
Let’s get into the major changes in One UI 7.
Notification Shade And Quick Settings Panels Are Separate
When using a Samsung Galaxy device, you can access your Quick Settings and your notifications from the same panel. You just have to swipe down a second time (or swipe down initially with two fingers) to reveal the expanded Quick Settings panel and push the notifications aside.
That’ll change now, as it seems that each shade will now have an entirely separate panel. These might be accessed by swiping down from either the left or right side of the phone (similar to iOS). I’m not sure how necessary this change was, though I can at least admit each panel will be cleaner without the other one cluttering its space. It’s also clear that a lot of corners in the UI will be rounded further, most noticeable with these panels.
Redesigned App Icons
Samsung is making design changes to some of its icons. I think of all of them, Contacts, Gallery, and Camera now look very different, and in my opinion, not for the better. They each have more colors and use a less “flat” design, which unfortunately at this point, kind of has them come off as cartoony.
Galaxy Device Task Continuity
If you have another device in the Samsung ecosystem, such as a Galaxy tablet or a laptop, you may be able to easily answer a call on your phone and switch it to the other device incredibly easily. The only requirement is that all these devices need to be on the same Samsung account and you have to opt in to this feature.
A Dynamic-Island Type App Pill
We all know of Apple’s influence in the smartphone market and now we’re getting something sort of like Dynamic Island on Samsung phones. This will be a pill in the left side of the notification bar (similar to what you see when there’s a phone call in the background). Tapping this pill will open a bubble with additional options based on the context.
