Samsung prepares to launch the public beta of One UI 8.5: possible dates and regions
By ForGeeks
The first builds of One UI 8.5 for the Galaxy S25 have appeared on Samsung’s test server, and leaks point to a public beta starting soon.
According to the latest reports, the One UI 8.5 public beta could open on December 8. The first phase of the program will be available to Galaxy S25 users in the US, UK, Korea and Germany. That matches last year’s schedule: in 2023, the Android 15-based One UI 7 beta kicked off on December 5.
According to the latest reports, the One UI 8.5 public beta will be available to Galaxy S25 users in the U.K., Korea, and Germany.
The anticipated beta schedule
Sources say the program will be rolled out in phases:—a second phase is expected around December 22, which will expand testing to India and Poland;—a third beta build should be released around January 5.
A leak from @UniverseIce claims that the current One UI 8.5 build remains unstable and contains few new features, so Samsung may postpone the launch by a few weeks.
One UI 8.5 will be developed using a stable trunk model, similar to Google’s approach. The system is expected to be based on Android 16 QPR2, including all the innovations that will be in the OS by the time of release.
Which devices will get One UI 8.5 first
The public beta will start with the Galaxy S25 series anyway. The 2025 flagships — Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — will join later. Older models from previous years will only be able to test the update when it launches on the new devices.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 — Galaxy Z Flip 7 — will join the lineup later.
Changes expected in One UI 8.5
Leaks in recent months have described key UI updates. One preview video shows a redesigned Phone app, notification panel, and quick settings menu.
Even if the beta for the Galaxy S25 starts in December, the stable version won’t come out until after the Galaxy S26 — according to sources; it’s planned to be the first device on which One UI 8.5 will come pre-installed.
Sources say the stable version will not be released until after the Galaxy S26 — it’s planned to be the first device on which One UI 8.5 will be pre-installed.
