On February 20, 2026, Samsung Electronics announced Samsung One UI 8.5 update. While previous updates focused on visual refinements and performance, One UI 8.5 is fundamentally about “Agency”—turning your smartphone into a proactive assistant rather than a reactive tool.
At the heart of this transformation is a completely revamped Bixby. No longer just a voice trigger for basic tasks, the upgraded Bixby now functions as a conversational device agent. By integrating natural voice commands and real-time web access, Samsung is positioning its homegrown assistant to directly challenge Google Gemini and Apple’s Siri. For Galaxy users, this means the era of “barking commands” is over; the era of conversation has begun.
The Key Upgrade
The standout feature of One UI 8.5 is the transition of Bixby from a command-based system to a natural language interface. This shift represents a significant leap in how users interact with Samsung Electronics hardware.
Natural Voice Commands in Practice
Traditionally, voice assistants required “perfect phrasing” (e.g., “Set screen timeout to 5 minutes”). With the Bixby natural voice upgrade, users can speak to their devices in plain, often imperfect English.
For example, if you say, “I don’t want my screen to turn off while I’m reading this,” Bixby will automatically toggle the “Keep Screen On While Viewing” setting. It understands the intent behind the words, removing the need for users to navigate complex settings menus or remember technical feature names.
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Real-Time Web Access and Perplexity Integration
Perhaps the most significant functional boost is Bixby’s new ability to access live web data. Reports from the One UI 8.5 beta suggest an integration with Perplexity AI, allowing Bixby to answer research-heavy questions—like comparing hotel prices or summarizing breaking news—directly within the assistant overlay.
Instead of kicking you out to a web browser, Bixby presents structured, cited results in a “chat-style” threaded layout. This keeps the user focused on the task at hand, a strategy that arguably puts Samsung ahead of current Siri implementations.
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Expected Features in One UI 8.5
Beyond the AI assistant, One UI 8.5 (based on Android 16) brings a host of quality-of-life improvements and visual overhauls.
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Liquid Glass Design: A new visual language featuring frosted glass effects and redesigned 3D app icons.
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Proactive “Now Nudges”: Galaxy AI will now provide on-screen suggestions based on your current activity (e.g., suggesting a calendar entry while you’re reading an invite in a chat).
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Photo Assist 2.0: Improved AI image editing that supports continuous generation and better object removal without pixelation.
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Performance & Smoothness: Enhanced kernel management and animation smoothing, designed to make the Galaxy S26 series feel faster than any predecessor.
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Privacy Dashboard: A more transparent view of which AI features are processing data on-device versus in the cloud.
Supported Galaxy Devices (Speculative)
While the official list is pending, Samsung’s current update policy suggests the following devices will be among the first to receive the update:
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Galaxy S-Series: S26 (Out of the box), S25, S24, and S23 series.
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Galaxy Foldables: Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and their predecessors down to the Fold 4/Flip 4.
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Galaxy A-Series: A56, A55, and A36 models.
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Release Timeline & Device Eligibility
The One UI 8.5 release date is linked to the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event.
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Official Launch: February 25, 2026 (Debuting on the Galaxy S26 series).
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Beta Program: Currently live for the Galaxy S25 series in the US, South Korea, India, UK, and Germany.
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Stable Rollout: Expected to begin for the Galaxy S25 and recent foldables in late March 2026, with mid-range A-series devices following in Q2 2026.
Samsung’s AI Strategy
Samsung is no longer content with being “just a hardware company.” The Galaxy AI features in One UI 8.5 show a clear pivot toward becoming an AI services provider. By making Bixby “agentic”—meaning it can act on your behalf across apps—Samsung is creating a “sticky” ecosystem.
In the premium smartphone market, hardware specs like RAM and camera megapixels have largely plateaued. By focusing on on-device AI that actually understands context, Samsung is creating a genuine differentiator. If Bixby can reliably manage your device better than Google Assistant can, users have a powerful reason to stay within the Galaxy ecosystem.
What This Means for Users
For the average user, One UI 8.5 solves the “Settings Fatigue.” Modern smartphones have thousands of toggles; Bixby now acts as an interactive manual. Instead of searching “how to save battery,” you simply tell Bixby your battery is low and ask it to “fix it.” The assistant will then analyze your usage and apply a custom suite of power-saving settings tailored to your specific day.
Samsung One UI 8.5 is a foundational shift toward personal, adaptive intelligence. By transforming Bixby into a conversational agent with real-time web intelligence, Samsung is redefining the role of the smartphone. No longer just a screen in your pocket, your Galaxy device is becoming a digital partner that understands your words and executes your intent. As the stable rollout begins after the Galaxy S26 launch, Samsung is well-positioned to lead the next era of the AI-first mobile world.