Review of One UI 8.5 Beta vs Official One UI 8.5: Big changes

One UI 8.5 official and Beta versions help experience groundbreaking upgrades from Galaxy AI such as photo editing features with text and audio noise removal

After many days of waiting and testing, Samsung has finally officially launched One UI 8.5 with the super hot Galaxy S26 Series. I had the opportunity to experience the Beta version on Galaxy S25 Ultra and the official version on Galaxy S26 Ultra in parallel to find the answer: Does the official version really make a difference?

The answer is: Yes, and extremely impressive. Not only fixing errors, Samsung has brought AI features that make using the phone much smarter and more complete.

Pre-order Galaxy S26 to experience the latest One UI 8.5:

Refined interface: Small but extremely refined

At first look at the interface, the official version does not change too much compared to the Beta, still the typical smoothness. However, a small but extremely useful detail has appeared: the Finder bar right at the foot of the home screen.

You can quickly scroll through the screen pages with this bar or press directly to search for applications and documents. It’s quite similar to iOS’s method, but Samsung still maintains its own quality by allowing you to… turn it off if you find it confusing. This is something that the Beta 8.5 version on the Galaxy S25 Ultra currently does not have.

Galaxy AI is smarter, understands users’ ideas better

The biggest difference lies in the Galaxy AI ecosystem. On the official version, the Now Nudges feature works like a real assistant. Instead of having to open the app, AI will automatically understand the context: For example, when someone texts to make an appointment, the machine will automatically check for an empty calendar and suggest right in the notification bar.

Or the Notification Summary & Priority feature helps you avoid being overwhelmed by the pile of spam messages, only the most important things are pushed to the top. The previous Beta version only stopped at a basic support level, not reaching this high level of “sensitivity” and automation.

Unlimited creativity with Creative Studio and AI Photos

Regarding photo editing, the Generative Edit feature has evolved to a new level. In the Beta version, you can only draw or zone, but in the official version, you can text and request AI.

I tried taking a photo of a water bottle and texting: “Change the color of the bottle to blue”, as a result, the AI ​​handled it extremely naturally. In addition, Creative Studio (replacing Drawing Assist) now allows you to create invitations, stickers or even wallpapers with just a few lines of description.

Experience sound and camera

An “unrivaled” upgrade is Audio Eraser. Previously it was only used for videos on the device, now One UI 8.5 officially allows direct use on third-party apps such as YouTube or Netflix.

If you watch YouTube and come across a video with crackling or noisy sound, just turn on the AI ​​switch and the voice will be clearly separated immediately. As for Camera, the official version adds a series of options in Camera Assistant, allowing adjustment of focus speed and default resolution of 24MP, features that Beta users are still longing for.

Conclude

One UI 8.5 is officially more than just a software update, it’s a leap forward in the Galaxy AI experience. If you are using the Beta version, prepare yourself to receive this outstanding smoothness and intelligence when the stable version officially arrives.