Samsung has just announced that its smartphone user interface will be going through a major refresh with the new One UI. As revealed by the leaked Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 Pie firmware, One UI is all about putting important functions and features in focus for the end user, in addition to making single-handed usage easy by interactable elements down to the lower half of the screen.
Samsung One UI is all about ease of use
One UI will bring changes in a number of apps. In the Settings app, options that are similar will be grouped together, and often used options will be at the top of the list. The clock app will have all the different sections (such as alarm and timer) at the bottom of the screen. Visually, One UI will emulate Samsung's hardware design, so you will see more rounded shapes in the app icons and other UI elements. Yes, that means those icons we were all dreading may actually be a part of the final version of Pie.
Oh, and that night theme that the leaked Pie firmware had revealed? Well, it will be complemented by other themes that take after the color of your phone. So your black Galaxy Note 9 will, by default, run on the night theme in proprietary Samsung apps, while a pink Galaxy S9 will change things to, well, pink. This is a huge addition to the themes support Samsung's software has had for a few years, and we can't wait to see it in action once Android Pie comes out in January.
One UI will also power Samsung's foldable phone
Samsung also revealed that One UI will power its foldable phone. Thanks to the larger screen estate on the foldable phone, One UI will enable users to use up to three apps simultaneously instead of two apps as is the case right now. More details on the foldable display features will be revealed at SDC in the next two days, so be sure to keep checking back in to SamMobile.
What's your opinion of Samsung's new user interface? Check it out in the intro video below then let us know your thoughts down in the comments!
— SAMSUNG DEVELOPERS (@samsung_dev) November 7, 2018