Android updates aren’t what they used to be. In recent years, I haven’t been able to tell if I’ve received one without checking the version number. That isn’t the case with One UI 7, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on something that actually feels new.
I Dig the Visual Refinements
Samsung’s One UI 7 update has new features, but the biggest changes have to do with how things look. Samsung’s devices have felt very same-y for quite some time now, and this update is intended to make them feel fresh. That’s why Samsung is introducing new icons and other visual tweaks throughout the interface.
App icons are a small thing, but I am a heavy user of many Samsung apps. These are icons I see a lot, and I’m happy to see them get a touch-up.
As for other changes, you may notice various aspects of the interface are rounder. Widgets have received some attention, with some feeling distinct both from Apple and Google.
Other changes are less about being different and more, well, you’ll see.
Finally, a Vertical App Drawer!
If you pick up a Pixel and open the app drawer, you swipe vertically to view all of your apps in one continuous flow. If you pick up a Motorola Razr and open the app drawer, you get the same deal. If you pick up a Samsung Galaxy phone, you instead swipe horizontally between several pages of apps.
This is one of the reasons I’ve preferred to swap out Samsung’s default for an alternative Android launcher, virtually all of which allow me to use a vertical app launcher instead. My personal favorite? Niagara Launcher. With it, I can swipe along the right-hand side, stop on a specific letter, and view apps in that area of the alphabet.
With One UI 7, I no longer need to install an alternative to get a vertical app launcher. Not only will Samsung let you scroll up and down, but you can also skip quickly between parts of the alphabet. Thank you.
Faster, Streamlined Notifications and Quick Toggles
I like Samsung’s quick toggles and notifications in part because they’re more efficient than that of stock Android. I can see more toggles at once, and I like Samsung’s translucent vibe.
With One UI 7, notifications and quick toggles are being separated, at least by default. Swipe down from the left for notifications, and swipe down from the right for quick toggles.
While I haven’t yet gotten my hands on this in practice (nor have I used an iPhone, where this is already common practice), I like the idea. Notifications and quick toggles are separate things, and when I want to access one, I rarely want to see the other. It’s a cleaner look to keep them separate without slowing anything down after getting through the initial adjustment period.
I’m Ready to Try the Now Bar
I hear the Dynamic Island on iPhones is a compelling feature. I don’t know. I find the island so hideous that it ruins the look of the iPhone (and I find copycat third-party apps on Android just as unappealing). That reason alone is enough to make me feel drawn toward Samsung’s implementation, which appears cleanly along the bottom of the lock screen and sometimes in the status bar.
Samsung’s version only works with first-party apps. I hope this changes in the future, but again, I make use of Samsung apps. Showing me what music I’m playing in the local media player or my active timer are my two primary reasons for glancing at a lock screen, and if all I were to get ultimately is a cleaner way to see those two things, that’s enough.
That said, other first-party apps are supported. You can also view recording progress, whether your phone is actively translating speech, and the length of your current run in the Now Bar.
More Refined Battery Settings
Having a battery at 100% may seem like a good thing, but not really. Lithium-ion batteries don’t like being at such a high state of charge. Some phone makers, Samsung included, allow you to limit the battery charge to a certain threshold.
On One UI 6.1, I can limit that charge to 80%. On One UI 7, Samsung provides more granular options. If you want to charge to 85% or even 90%, that’s now on the table (at least in the beta).
Camera, Gallery, and Video App Improvements
Like most people, my phone camera is my primary camera. I happen to use mine professionally. Most of the photos I upload come from my Z Fold 6, so I make extensive use of the Samsung camera app. There are many features tucked away in the Samsung camera for others who utilize it as much as I do.
In One UI 7, Samsung’s focus on the camera app has centered around moving controls around. The camera is now easier to use with one hand, with more of the controls moved toward the bottom portion of the screen. Only a few buttons remain at the top.
The Gallery app now includes an editor specifically for RAW photos. You can tweak highlights and shadows before sending the camera off to the regular editor.
A tweak to the video player brings a button that’s familiar when streaming online—the ability to jump back to the beginning and replay a video quickly.
Regular Android Updates Have Gotten Rather Stale
I first started covering Android back in the days when each update substantially changed the way your phone worked. Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” was a huge departure from 2.0 “Gingerbread” (3.0 Honeycomb was a Tron-styled tablet-only version). 5.0 “Lollypop” introduced Google’s Material Design language. With each release, Android not only continued to have more features than iOS, but it was starting to have the style to match.
Now Android feels fully baked. Somewhere along the way, I stopped keeping track of version numbers. I could switch back and forth between phones and have no idea which Android version I was running. I could update a device and not be sure which version I just installed.
One UI 7 is the first Android update in years I’ve actively looked forward to. Admittedly, I’m relatively new to Samsung. One UI changes at a separate pace from Android itself. Still, from what I’ve gleaned, this update is Samsung’s biggest in quite a while. I’m hoping I don’t have long to wait for the update to come to my Galaxy Z Fold 6.
