Samsung Galaxy phones might catch up with Google Pixel in one key way

Samsung could be preparing to match Google’s Pixel Drop pace with its One UI smartphone OS update schedule.

The company’s forthcoming One UI 8.5 update is said to be based on Google’s second quarterly platform release, Android 16 QPR2, which could set a precent for how the South Korean manufacturer proceeds.

According to Android Authority, Samsung could be looking to make a fundamental shift in matching Google’s quarterly Android ‘Pixel Drop‘ release schedule.

Most manufacturers – including Samsung, up until this point – will only update the underlying Android version once a year, rather than Google’s four times.

Samsung’s shift could be big news for its customers. As the original post points out, most non-Pixel using Android users will miss out on new features like Identity Check until the next major update, as they don’t always launch straight away in the OS’s lifecycle.

It would means that Samsung phones have access to major new features months before third party rivals like Xiaomi and Oppo – unless they choose to follow suit.

Of course, it’s still possible to add those features on a case by case basis. But Samsung’s falling into step with Google’s more regular beat would undoubtedly be good news.

Automatic call screening

In related news, we learn that One UI 8.5 will add the Pixel series’ automatic call screening feature.

Android Authority spotted a reference to the feature, which answers suspicious calls on its own and provides a text transcript of the ‘conversation’, in a leaked One UI 8.5 build.

It seems Samsung is looking to give users extra control over the feature, choosing whether to automatically screen calls from either all unknown numbers, spam and scam numbers, or to list some exceptions. It’s similar to Google’s Pixel provision, but could potentially provide four optional levels of protection rather than three.

Forget One UI 8 – One UI 8.5 is the big update

One UI 8.5 might sound like a minor upgrade on paper, but as this latest news suggests, it could represent a big shift in approach from Samsung.

Back in July we reported on claims that the company was looking to launch most of its big new features under the One Ul 8.5 moniker, and would proceed along similar lines for the foreseeable future.

With Google bringing its Android 16 launch forward significantly, the next main Samsung UI version (One UI 9) would simply bump the underlying up to Android 17 with relatively minor surface updates.

Now that older phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 are finally getting One UI 8, attention can now turn to Samsung’s far more interesting plans for One UI 8.5.