Samsung has started rolling out One UI 8: the update has succumbed to iOS 26

On September 5, Samsung officially launched the One UI 8 update. The date was no coincidence – it was the same day Apple released iOS 26 to millions of devices worldwide. However, the attempt to play up to its competitor’s background didn’t have the expected effect.

One UI 8 is only available to owners of the flagship Galaxy S25 series at launch, and only in its home market of Korea. Owners of other models will have to wait until October or later. By comparison, Apple rolled out iOS 26 to all supported iPhones and iPads worldwide on the same day.

Limited Update

Samsung plans to expand distribution incrementally, but the limited launch once again showed a gap in the two companies’ approaches. Apple has traditionally updated its entire ecosystem in one fell swoop, while Samsung continues to proceed in stages. That’s causing irritation among users who are waiting for updates at the same time as new model owners.

What’s new in One UI 8

In terms of functionality, One UI 8 is not a significant step forward. It’s one of the most modest updates in recent years. By comparison, Apple relied on a major innovation – the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26. The decision proved controversial, but it was the one that shaped September’s biggest infopod.

So the difference in the scale of innovation became clearer. Apple showed a global update with notable changes, while Samsung limited itself to spot tweaks and a local launch.

Criticism of Samsung’s strategy

Despite improvements in its update policy in recent years, One UI 8 showed that the company still has a ways to go. Attempting to gain attention at the same time as Apple emphasized how different their approaches to updating devices still are.

Owners of Galaxy smartphones and tablets need only check to see if their models are on the list of supported One UI 8 devices. For many, that will be a comfort amid the delays.