Samsung’s biggest UI redesign could drop as early as next week

Summary

• One UI 7 beta may launch early on July 29, offering a new Android 15 experience sooner than expected.
• Users in the US and Korea may get access first, with a stable version expected by late October.
• Expect redesigned icons similar to iOS 18, customizable lock screen actions, and a split notification panel.

Samsung’s Android 15-based One UI 7 has been in the works for quite a while now, but as of now, the tech giant hasn’t released the upcoming Android skin’s first beta yet.

For reference, the first One UI 6 beta came out on August 11 last year, so we’re technically still ahead of schedule. However, leaks and rumors surrounding the Android skin have taken an uptick in the past month, and with internal testing already underway, we’re now hearing whispers of the first One UI 7 beta dropping within July.

Max Jambor, a reliable source of tech leaks, has indicated that we might be able to get our hands on Samsung’s first One UI 7 beta as early as Monday, July 29. This would mean that the new Android skin is roughly two weeks ahead of schedule, at least when compared to its predecessor.

If the first beta does indeed make its way on July 29, S24 series users in the US and Korea can expect to get their hands on it first, before the beta expands to other devices and countries. A stable version can be expected to land some time in late October or early November, if Samsung follows One UI 6’s stable release timeline.

Here’s a brief timeline and what we know about One UI 7

Earlier this month, we learned, through credible leaker Ice Universe, that One UI 7 will offer redesigned or “redrawn” app icons, and that it might be the most changed version in the history of One UI. Subsequently, it was reported that these changes might have been inspired by Apple’s iOS 18. For reference, the Galaxy Buds 3 resemble the AirPods, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra resembles Apple’s wearable of the same name. We’re starting to spot a pattern here.

Users should be able to customize the lock screen quick actions, and add app icons to the lock screen to seamlessly access them. Further mimicking iOS, the update will reportedly split the notification panel into two. Pulling down from the top right might reveal quick action toggles, like toggling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data, and more, while pulling down from the top left or the center of the screen should reveal notifications.

Earlier this week, we started seeing crumbles of what the One UI 7 icons might look like, and again, users were quick to point out the icons’ similarity to iOS counterparts. The Gallery icon in particular looked almost identical to Apple’s counterpart, albeit a little bit rounder overall. There’s no confirmation of One UI 7 offering a dark mode for icons, though they would look clean in dark gray, as seen in Photoshopped images posted on Twitter and Reddit. If Samsung is indeed drawing inspiration from Apple, it should pick up the dark mode for icons from iOS 18.

Ice Universe has already suggested that One UI 7 beta 1 should start rolling out by the end of July, and now with Jambor echoing the same sentiment, the final countdown for the beta might have begun.