One UI 6.1 leak spills the beans on the Pixel 8 AI features heading to the Galaxy S24

Camera housing of Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus against white background

What you need to know

  • Samsung's One UI 6.1 is reportedly adopting Google's Pixel 8 generative AI wallpapers for Galaxy phones, as per a new leak.
  • Leaked information on One UI 6.1 also mentions weather effects on the lockscreen, a Magic Editor rival for Galaxy phones, and 'Auto Format' for notes.
  • Other potential AI features coming to the Galaxy S24 next year include live phone call translation and voice isolation.

Rumors about the Galaxy S24 being Samsung's "AI phone" have been swirling for a while, but now we're getting a sneak peek at some mind-blowing AI capabilities the company is cooking up for its next flagship phones.

Some leaked pictures posted by @BennettBuhner on X (formerly Twitter) spill the beans on Samsung borrowing some of Google's AI magic for One UI 6.1 (via 9to5Google).

We've been buzzing about the Samsung Galaxy S24 diving into AI features, and it looks like those fancy AI wallpapers that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro flaunt are coming to Galaxy phones.

The leaked screenshots indicate that you'd be able to pick a theme, and your phone would cook up a one-of-a-kind wallpaper based on your prompt. Interestingly, the process is practically the same as on the Pixel 8.

It looks like the lineup of materials you can choose for wallpaper prompts is pretty diverse. It's unclear if we'll get even more options down the line.

There are apparently differences in the UI too. Google goes for the full-screen preview, showing you the whole artwork before you commit. Meanwhile, Samsung keeps it more compact, keeping the final result hidden until you hit "Surprise Me" ("Inspire Me" in the case of Google).

If AI wallpaper isn't your thing, it seems you'll have the option to spice up your lock screen with weather updates and portrait-style frame effects. The built-in photo editor in One UI 6.1 might also be getting some cool upgrades. With a little AI magic, the editor can stretch those photo borders.

The photo editor might also get a handy feature that lets you shuffle subjects around by just dragging and dropping, which sounds like the Pixel 8's Magic Editor trick.

Meanwhile, the Notes app on the Galaxy S24 may step up its game with some AI flair, tidying things up by turning them into a neat bullet-pointed list. And it can even decipher text from your handwritten notes.

Like we heard whispers about, One UI 6.1 might introduce in-call translation, so you can chat in real-time with someone speaking a different language. And there's a potential Voice Focus feature that can sift through background noise, making the speaker crystal clear when you're out and about.

Finally, One UI 6.1 could have a couple of charging tricks up its sleeve to keep your battery happy during those overnight power-ups. First up, there's Adaptive protection, which caps the charge at 80%, saving the final stretch to 100% right before you wake up. Then there's Maximum protection, which sticks to a solid 80% charge to ensure your battery stays in the game for the long haul.

If these features drop on the Galaxy S24, they could give the Google Pixel 8 a run for its money in the AI department. That said, you don't necessarily have to wait for the S24, because One UI 6.1 is set to arrive on the Samsung Galaxy S23 and a bunch of other top-notch Samsung phones.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.