What you need to know
- Additional One UI 9.5 rumors surface online, as a tipster claims Samsung is chasing a glass aesthetic that delivers "visual depth" for its elements.
- It seems Samsung would apply this to its home screen widgets, such as Now Brief, as well as in its Phone app and more.
- One UI 9.5 rumors got underway as One UI 9 Beta 5 rolled out, claiming development had begun on the Galaxy S26.
Another round of One UI 9.5 rumors concerns its UI, but in reality, it feels like we're caught in a time loop.
Early this morning (Aug 14), SamMobile highlighted a set of leaked screenshots that tipster Fahad Ali posted on X about One UI 9.5's UI. The tipster calls out the software's UI "polish," and it seems Samsung is approaching its 9.5 update with a glass design in mind. Many elements, such as Now Brief and floating UI elements in Samsung-made apps, resemble shinier glass along the edges.
Certain elements reportedly offer a blur when over objects, which is something we've become accustomed to over the years of phones and software design. Another aspect Ali points out is the "subtle backdrop shading." It looks like Samsung is trying to facilitate more separation, detail, and "visual depth" between its UI and the background (or app).
The Phone app looks the same (so far); however, Ali states Samsung has moved the search icon to the floating navigation bar at the bottom. This icon is currently placed at the top of the app, between the new contact button and the three-dot menu. Another post on X claims Samsung could add App Lock in One UI 9.5 to secure certain apps with a password, biometric, or other verification method.
Clear as glass
This is the new thing for phones, isn't it? The glass UI style. Apple already has Liquid Glass so, in a way, it's not completely new. I don't know how to feel about it. These are early snapshots, and they're focusing on these elements, not everything as a whole. Maybe my sentiments will change if Samsung feels this is right.
Rumors about One UI 9.5 started earlier this week, which is funny since Galaxy S26 users don't have One UI 9 yet. Samsung rolled out One UI 9 Beta 5 for S26 users, leaving testers with a 1.1GB download. A handful of fixes were detailed in its patch notes, alongside the August 2026 security patch. What we were most curious about was the 9.5 update rumors by a tipster on X. The tipster suggests Samsung has started developing One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26 far earlier than previously.
You shouldn't expect this update anytime soon, as rumors claim it might not debut until April or May 2027. What has us concerned is Samsung's history of software updates. One UI 8.5 was met with heavy delays throughout its development. There's also a chance that the 9.5 update Beta Program won't begin until late this year.
