Android Central Labs
Android Central Labs is a weekly column devoted to deep dives, experiments, and a targeted take a look at the know-how you employ. It covers telephones, tablets and every little thing in between.
The Samsung One UI 7 beta program is in full swing, having simply launched its second beta that is full of bug fixes for all eligible Samsung Galaxy telephones. I have been utilizing it on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely and I am already satisfied that that is the very best model of One UI that Samsung has made in a really very long time.
The most recent beta is all about bug fixes, however there are such a lot of new options in One UI 7 that it is onerous to not sift by way of all of them to seek out my new favorites. Samsung is doing loads to cater to followers and old-timers who do not like One UI by doing what it does greatest: providing choices for each conceivable choice.
So what’s it like to make use of One UI 7? Distinctive in most methods, fortunately.
A brand new UI
Proper off the bat, seasoned Samsung customers—and there are a whole lot of you on the market—will instantly discover that Samsung has cut up the notification shade by default. Which means swiping down on the fitting facet of the standing bar brings up a full display screen of fast toggle buttons and sliders whereas swiping down on the left facet of the standing bar brings up notifications. It is similar to an iPhone.
I can see lots of people getting actually annoyed with this new default habits, and I am undecided it is my favourite choice ever. On the intense facet, you’ll be able to shortly transfer between two panels with a horizontal swipe, so it would not take a lot effort if muscle reminiscence kicks in and you’ll want to go to the subsequent panel.
Fortunately, you’ll be able to change it again to the unique single-pane habits, however you may need to press the pencil button on the quick-toggle panel and toggle it again. It’s kind of hidden and I feel Samsung ought to present it off a bit extra. I attempted the brand new share panel for some time, however I actually do not prefer it, so I reverted again to the Android-style habits.
Lastly! A vertical app drawer by default!
The following factor you may discover is the vertical app drawer. Mockingly, whereas Samsung is copying Apple with the default cut up notification panel, it is going with a extra Android-like expertise with the default app drawer structure. Should you do not like this, you’ll be able to return by choosing the “customized” kind order. It is a unusual selection of wording and I feel Samsung ought to change it to “vertical” or “horizontal” to keep away from confusion.
Nonetheless, the brand new vertical drawer is nice and even has a scroll bar on the fitting for shortly transferring between apps, all sorted alphabetically by default. The vertical app drawer is an enormous enchancment that makes One UI immediately really feel prefer it was developed within the 2020s moderately than the 2000s.
The brand new multitasking interface is MUCH BETTER than Google’s horrible default Android design.
The third huge factor you may discover is the brand new multitasking interface, which lastly helps you to see a couple of app tile directly. As a substitute of splitting the tiles horizontally and making the center one take up probably the most area, Samsung now arranges the tiles in a 3D carousel so you’ll be able to simply look again and see apps forward as you scroll by way of the record .
The energetic app strikes instantly to the fitting of the display screen, so you’ll be able to shortly juggle between a number of apps. After all, this design is nearly an identical to the iOS fashion of multitasking that has existed on the iPhone for greater than a decade, and its time has additionally come.
Google launched the horrible outdated structure with Android 9, and I by no means understood why the corporate saved it round for so long as it did. It is not a multitasking interface should you can solely see one app at a time. This at the least does loads to repair it, even when it is an open iOS change.
Good Lock is not prepared but, so what you see is what you get till then.
If you need any of the opposite multitasking types, you may have to attend till Good Lock’s Dwelling Up module is up to date for One UI 7 compatibility, doubtless after the OS’s ultimate launch, which is anticipated in January.
Different refreshes across the working system embody new icons, up to date fonts, a brand new battery indicator that appears tremendous cool, and tons of recent widgets that you’re going to undoubtedly need to play with. I particularly just like the countdown widget, which lets you choose a selected date on the calendar and drop it onto your house display screen to construct anticipation.
Not fairly caught feeling
Whereas the brand new interface modifications are principally optimistic with some questionable choices, the “really feel” you get is one thing of an immeasurable class. If I evaluate One UI to one thing like OxygenOS 15, for instance, Samsung’s consumer expertise nonetheless would not really feel like the very best of the very best.
The haptics, for instance, nonetheless really feel weak and infrequently lacking in vital locations, and it makes the expertise really feel so hole in comparison with my OnePlus 12. Transferring the brightness slider or clearing notifications on a OnePlus telephone brings satisfying swipes that make them really feel like bodily buttons or sliders, whereas Samsung’s UI would not vibrate or really feel responsive in any respect.
The animations in One UI 7 are nowhere close to the caliber of OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus 12. For instance, whenever you set a timer and swipe residence on OnePlus’ OxygenOS 15, the app will “decrease” to the standing bar in an excellent slick approach approach. If you click on the timer, it then morphs and zooms into the app whenever you click on it. That is greatest proven within the animation, which you’ll see beneath.
Take a look at
Samsung’s new animations are nonetheless not of the identical caliber that may be present in OxygenOS 15, and the openings in One UI 7 nonetheless really feel hole and empty.
Nonetheless, in One UI 7, the app simply slides down and away with none fanfare. Clicking the dwell notification timer within the standing bar merely opens the app in the usual approach. No pizza. Nothing enjoyable is going on in any respect.
What I’ll say is that Samsung’s new Dwell Notifications are a fantastic change from the iPhone’s Dynamic Island that I’ve longed for. However as a substitute of simply copying Apple, Samsung improved the idea by making the notification “capsule” seem on the backside of the display screen the place it is most clickable.
You will see this new capsule in your always-on show or lock display screen, making it simple to shortly cease the timer or get actionable details about a supported app. Alternatively, the little capsule lives within the standing bar above, so you’ll be able to see it at any time with out taking on extra space than the standing bar. Nicely achieved, Samsung.
Ten thousand options
As you would possibly count on from Samsung, the record of recent options for One UI 7 is a mile lengthy. Whereas some beloved options had been eliminated, the brand new model of the OS is packed stuffed with issues that you could be solely use just a few occasions, however will in the end turn out to be useful whenever you get the prospect to. use them.
There’s one thing for everybody right here, even should you solely end up utilizing it as soon as in a blue moon.
An instance is transferring all calendar entries to a brand new calendar as a substitute of getting to do it one after the other. Should you’re sharing a file by way of Fast Share and it fails, you may now be given the choice to switch it utilizing an web connection as a substitute of getting to redo the switch.
Notifications may also stack when an app offers you a bunch at a time. That is helpful when you’ve got a number of Gmail accounts, for instance, as you may get an occasion of Gmail within the notification shade, however you’ll be able to simply swipe down on it to see every little thing.
The digital camera acquired some love too, though I am not tremendous loopy about every little thing. The digital camera has a 2x zoom button proper on the viewfinder, including 0.6, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10x zoom choices to the record to immediately get the place you need with out having to maneuver. Samsung even added enjoyable new results to Dwell Photographs, so you’ll be able to shortly flip them right into a slow-motion or boomerang preview of your picture.
Nonetheless a piece in progress
One UI 7 is not excellent, however I feel it is a huge step in the fitting path for Samsung. A UI has felt a bit dated for some time now and wanted an replace to really feel trendy once more. I am glad to see Samsung not solely taking suggestions, however prepared to make much-needed modifications to UI components which were round for a very long time, like that terrible horizontal app drawer.
That is solely the second beta launch for One UI 7, and the subsequent beta model is anticipated to repair extra bugs which can be more likely to seem; plus, it might make some modifications primarily based on consumer suggestions within the beta program. We are going to almost certainly see the subsequent beta replace roll out earlier than the top of the yr.
