Hands-on: Samsung’s One UI 7 update feels like a big upgrade, but is it enough? [Gallery]

Samsung’s next big Android update has finally launched in beta with a huge list of changes and, despite early impressions, One UI 7 actually seems good.

One UI was a breath of fresh air when it first debuted back in 2018, but anything was an improvement over TouchWiz. In the years that followed, Samsung’s initial vision took a backseat as One UI started to feel more cluttered and cumbersome. It’s always been feature-packed but, personally, I’ve come to enjoy my time on One UI far less than virtually any other Android experience.

That’s why One UI 7 was enticing at first. The simple thought of a major update brought the possibility for change, and for improvement.

However, I was quickly worried by initial leaks. Everything pointed to some iOS ripoffs and some big functional changes that I wasn’t a fan of. But, after using One UI 7 for a bit, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the update is… actually pretty good.

It all starts with the design, where Samsung has delivered an evolution of its UI that’s full of smooth animations and clean(er) designs. Transparent elements are used throughout the system just as they were before, but by implementing that in new areas such as the multitasking page, it feels just a bit more cohesive. This contributes to a sense of fluidity to the system that wasn’t there before, too, which I think comes down to something more than just animations – though it’s worth noting that those are much faster and smoother too (no, I won’t be doing that nonsensical test).

What I was most concerned about going into One UI 7, though, was the clear target Samsung had on replicating iOS features. The new designs, the Dynamic Island clones, etc.

But, surprisingly, it all works pretty well.

The decision to split notifications and Quick Settings was easily what I feared most, but there’s good news. It’s fully optional. Beyond that, Samsung’s implementation is better than other brands. Where Oppo/OnePlus have a 50/50 split for the swipe to either of the two panes, Samsung gives you much more room to access the notification tray. That’s already led to a much lower error rate for getting at the notifications on the Galaxy S24 Ultra running One UI 7 compared to my time on the Oppo Find X8 Pro recently.

Samsung’s takes – yes, plural – on the Dynamic Island are also pretty solid.

The “Now Bar” on the lockscreen delivers a quick and easy way to keep an eye on ongoing tasks, though I suspect the vast majority of people will be using it for music controls.

Inside, the new “Live notifications” fulfill the same purpose as the Dynamic Island and Apple’s Live Activities, and it does the job pretty well. If this is what Android 16 is bringing to the table, sign me up.

I’m just curious, for now, is Samsung will have any sort of third-party integration for either of these over the next few months. They’re powerful features, certainly, so it’d be a shame to lock them to just a handful of stock apps (and Samsung apps, at that).

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