Samsung has started pushing One UI 8.5 to more Galaxy phones worldwide, with Galaxy S23 owners in Germany, Pakistan, Portugal and Spain reporting the update and Galaxy A56 users seeing it land in South Africa, Norway, Egypt and other markets. The third major wave of the rollout also includes the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy A36, while the Galaxy S23 FE is expected to follow soon.
The update is built on Android 16 and arrives after Samsung first began rolling it out on May 6th in South Korea, starting with the Galaxy S26 series. The global rollout expanded on May 11th to the Galaxy S25 series and the latest foldables, before the Galaxy S24 series followed shortly after. Now the software is reaching older and cheaper devices, extending a package that Samsung says covers most Galaxy phones released in the last three to four years.
One UI 8.5 brings a redesigned interface with floating pill-shaped menus, new Quick Panel and Lock Screen customization options, and AirDrop compatibility through an updated Quick Share integration. Galaxy S24 series phones and newer also get four AI tools that first appeared on the Galaxy S26 earlier this year: Audio Eraser, which can isolate and adjust voices, music and background noise while streaming content through the Quick Panel; Creative Studio, a generative AI image editor; Call Screening, which answers unknown calls and transcribes them in real time; and an updated Photo Assist that uses text prompts to add or remove objects or change details such as clothing colours.
Those four AI tools are not coming to the Galaxy A-series phones or the Galaxy S23 range, but Samsung is giving the S23 lineup a different upgrade. The Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra are getting an enhanced Bixby powered by Perplexity AI, designed to understand natural language when users want to find or change settings without knowing the menu names. Samsung says telling Bixby that eyes are strained can turn on Eye Comfort Shield, while asking how to save battery without losing too much functionality can bring back a list of tips.
That split reflects where Samsung is drawing the line between newer premium devices and older ones. The Galaxy S23 series is now in the second half of its promised software support window, so this wave gives it a meaningful set of system upgrades even as the more advanced AI features stay reserved for the latest flagships. With the rollout broadening by the day, the next phones in line are likely to be the Galaxy S23 FE and other eligible Galaxy models still waiting for the update.
