One UI 8.5 Leak Suggests Several Features May Be Exclusive to Galaxy S26 Series
One UI 8.5 beta leak suggests Samsung may reserve major AI features, including notification summaries, for the Galaxy S26 series. Stable rollout expected in 2026.
One UI 8.5 Leak: Several New Features May Be Exclusive to Galaxy S26
Samsung has initiated the One UI 8.5 Beta Program, however, there are new rumors that most of the upcoming features and AI-based tools may be limited to the Galaxy S26 series.
The One UI 8.5 Beta was opened on December 8, and the stable version is anticipated to be launched in the first half of 2026. Even though the beta provides a sneak peek into Samsung’s upcoming software upgrade, the informants are saying that the final release will have a lot of new features and AI improvements compared to what is offered in the beta version now.
Key features missing from the beta
According to tipster @chunvn8888, the current One UI 8.5 build lacks several planned features. Samsung is reportedly reserving many of these additions for devices launching alongside the Galaxy S26 series, rather than rolling them out broadly through the update.
One major highlight is the long-awaited AI-powered notification summary feature. Initially expected to debut with One UI 7, the tool was reportedly delayed due to changes in Samsung’s rollout strategy.
AI notification summaries explained
The notification summary feature is designed to condense notifications from the past 24 hours, making it easier for users to catch up at a glance. It is said to be powered by Samsung’s Gauss AI model, which operates on-device to enhance privacy and data security.
At launch, the feature is expected to support multiple languages, including English, Korean, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Polish, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Vietnamese and Thai.
Galaxy S26 exclusivity likely
Leaks suggest the AI summary tool will arrive officially with the new Galaxy S26 phones. Samsung has reportedly not yet decided whether the feature will also be extended to the Galaxy S25 series at a later stage.
And this may not be an isolated case. Insiders indicate that several One UI 8.5 features could follow the same pattern.
Samsung’s broader strategy
If indeed correct, this method is in harmony with the Samsung's historical practice of the exclusion of major software features from older flagship models, at least at first. Samsung by restricting the use of advanced AI tools to the latest devices not only enhances the attractiveness of getting a new phone but also makes it clear that the new models are much better than the old ones.
The rollout of the stable One UI 8.5 is expected to provide more clarity in 2026.
