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Samsung starts testing the new One UI 9 interface on the Galaxy S26 Ultra with a focus on Android 17

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one ui - Foto: Divulgação

The South Korean manufacturer has started developing its next generation of software for mobile devices, marking the beginning of a new technological cycle. The first firmware records of the new interface were located on the company’s internal servers, indicating that practical tests are already underway. The operating system, still in the initial structuring phase, is installed in units of the brand’s most recent premium model for hardware validation.

The discovery of the codes comes shortly after the official launch of the new line of high-end smartphones on the global market, surprising experts with its speed. The development schedule demonstrates a significant acceleration in the Asian company’s internal software engineering processes. Engineers are working intensively on adapting the operating system bases of the Google to the architecture of the new high-performance processors.

At this initial stage, the programming teams divide their attention between maintaining current versions and building the new virtual interaction environment. The strategy aims to ensure the stability and security of devices already sold while preparing the ground for the visual and functional innovations of the next major update.

Quick Settings Panel Redesign and Design

The first analyzes of the leaked code reveal significant changes in the way users interact with the daily settings of their cell phone. The top control panel, accessed by swiping down the screen, features considerably wider sliders for adjusting display brightness and system volume. Essa ergonomic change makes it easier to use the device with just one hand, responding to a long-standing demand from consumers who use large screens on a daily basis.

The overall design of the interface moves towards a much more minimalist and fluid aesthetic, reducing visual clutter and highlighting essential information for the user. The bottom navigation bar has also undergone a complete redesign of its structure, now adopting a floating pill shape that subtly detaches from the bottom edge of the screen. Essa modification not only modernizes the visual aspect of the operating system, but also optimizes the use of useful display space, allowing applications to occupy a larger viewing area.

Among the main structural modifications identified by the developers in this preliminary testing phase, the following points of improvement stand out:

  • Resized sliders for better ergonomics and touch precision.
  • Floating pill-shaped navigation bar to maximize the screen.
  • New section dedicated exclusively to parental control and family management.
  • Redesigned media widget with dynamic real-time animations.
  • Advanced physical debris detection system in foldable devices.

Family management gains dedicated space

The parental control system received a complete overhaul in its positioning within the smartphone’s main settings menu. Anteriormente, these fundamental monitoring tools were hidden within the digital well-being tab, which made it difficult for those responsible for children to quickly locate them.

With the new software update, family management gains its own, highlighted and easily accessible section on the system settings home screen. Parents can now set screen time limits, approve downloads and apply app restrictions in a much more direct and intuitive way, ensuring a safe digital environment.

Lock screen media player updates

The widget responsible for playing music and videos on the lock screen has a completely renewed look and is in line with the new design guidelines. The traditional, static progress bar has been replaced by colorful wave graphics that move in perfect synchronization with the audio played in real time.

The player interface also now displays connected devices in a clearer and more accessible way, showing transmission options compatible with virtual assistants and screen mirroring protocols. The artist name and music track title now overlap the album art, creating a visual depth effect.

This aesthetic change has the main objective of making the lock screen more dynamic, modern and interactive, without compromising the readability of crucial information. The user can manage their playlists and switch between audio outputs with fewer touches on the screen, streamlining the daily use experience.

Protection system for flexible screens

One of the most technical and important innovations found in the source code refers to the physical protection of devices equipped with flexible screens. The software includes an intelligent mechanism capable of detecting the presence of small objects, coarse dust or debris lodged inside the device’s hinge.

When the system identifies, through sensors, that the smartphone cannot be closed completely due to a mechanical obstruction, an immediate, full-screen alert is issued. The notification instructs the user to open the device carefully and clean the affected area before trying to fold it again.

This preventative functionality has the clear objective of drastically reducing mechanical damage caused by solid particles crushing against the delicate flexible display. Screens breaking for this specific reason represent one of the main causes of warranty triggers and expensive repairs on these premium models.

Although the feature depends on the integration of new hardware sensors to work with maximum precision in future releases, fragments of the code suggest an adaptation. A version based entirely on software and resistance analysis could be made available for previous generations of the brand’s foldable devices.

Integration with the Android 17 base

Development logs unequivocally confirm that the new interface is being built directly on the solid foundations of Android 17. Internal testing shows that software builds have already passed the Android 16 adaptation phase, indicating early and strategic alignment with the Google release schedule. The test firmware carries specific identifiers that connect the proprietary interface to the latest security packages, processing libraries and APIs provided by the base operating system developer, ensuring full compatibility with new mobile industry standards.

The strategy of skipping intermediate testing steps allows the manufacturer to significantly optimize its engineering resources and deliver a much more mature product at the time of official launch to the public. The smartphone model used for initial validations acts as a true technical reference platform, where developers exhaustively test the stability of the kernel, advanced battery power management and the compatibility of hardware drivers with the new and rigorous requirements of the next generation operating system.

Testing schedule and availability

The development cycle of the new user interface follows an extremely rigorous standard of technical validation before reaching end consumer devices on a global scale. Historicamente, the company usually announces its public beta testing programs in a period very close to major technology events aimed at software developers and commercial partners. Após completion of the closed laboratory testing phase, the software will be gradually released to a select group of enthusiastic users enrolled in the official evaluation program, allowing for the massive collection of data on real-world performance and the identification of complex failures undetected in a controlled environment. The final, optimized and stable version of the operating system is scheduled for commercial launch in the second half of the year, and should first debut natively in the brand’s next generation of foldable smartphones, before being expanded via over-the-air update to traditional high-performance models and, at a later point, to high-volume mid-range sales lines.

Expanding software support

The manufacturer’s updated extended update policy ensures that premium devices receive ongoing system and security support over an extended, multi-year period. The devices that undergo these rigorous initial firmware tests are part of a technological ecosystem that prioritizes hardware longevity through constant software optimizations, reducing planned obsolescence and increasing the resale value of equipment on the secondary market.

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