Samsung has begun testing One UI 8, based on Android 16, despite being months away from releasing One UI 7 based on Android 15. While the rollout for One UI 7 is expected next month, Google’s Android 16 will be released in June. Samsung’s early development of One UI 8, with internal test builds for the Galaxy S25 spotted, suggests a potential faster update cycle. Although this is a positive sign, uncertainties remain about the timeline, with hopes for One UI 8 to be released by the year’s end. More updates will follow as the situation progresses.
No, there is no error in the title – we genuinely mean that Samsung has begun testing One UI 8 based on Android 16. It’s quite ironic, considering that the update to One UI 7 based on Android 15 is still not available, despite several months of testing. That update is set to start rolling out next month, after which the waiting game will resume, as Google plans to release Android 16 in June.
We certainly hope that Samsung will be faster with this update compared to the last one, but there are no guarantees. The fact that the Korean company is already conducting internal tests for One UI 8 seems to be a positive indication, yet we wouldn’t place any bets on this information alone.
BREAKING ‼️
The FIRST One UI 8 internal test build for the Galaxy S25 series has been spotted on the server today
Build Version: S938BXXU1BYC1/S938BOXM1BYC1/S938BXXU1BYC1
Samsung has kicked off One UI 8 (Android 16) development two months earlier than usual.
Repost 🔄 pic.twitter.com/hZ3G38ORng
— Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) March 7, 2025
The initial One UI 8 build for the Galaxy S25 series was detected today on Samsung’s firmware servers, and the encouraging news is that the company has initiated development two months ahead of schedule. Additionally, Android 16 might even be released earlier in the year. There’s a possibility that Samsung could roll out the One UI 8 update by the end of the year at this pace. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.