Samsung has managed to turn the situation around with its mobile software. Years ago, the consensus was a heavy, slow layer with updates arriving late and for a few years. NOW, A user interface is considered one of the best layers and Samsung phones are among those that receive the most years of updates.
But reaching the level of One UI 6 does not happen overnight. In fact, it took 14 years since the first Samsung Galaxy S (GT-I9000), several tests and many lessons learned along the way to arrive at today’s unique user interface, Built on TouchWiz and Samsung Experienceold Samsung interfaces.
At the beginning, Samsung created TouchWiz
The Samsung Galay S with TouchWiz
Samsung’s early days were marked by TouchWiz, a name that has raised eyebrows for years. TouchWiz was Samsung’s Android layer for seven yearsfrom 2010 to 2017. This is for the moment the longest reign of a Samsung layer, although next year it will be equaled, if there are no surprises, by One UI 7.0.
TouchWiz has been one of the most criticized customization layers in Android history
A lot has been written about TouchWiz, but not much good. The layer has been criticized for years for its bloatwarewith a large number of added functions that could sometimes be confusing or, worse, difficult to work, especially on low-end Samsung phones of the time like the Galaxy J.
Visually it wasn’t much different from other diapers of its time, but the fact that have many duplicate applications (Google and Samsung versions), Android updates arriving with notable delays and performances that did not always accompany them have forged the myth, still alive today, of the boon of pure Android, without much in addition.
Then the Samsung experiment arrived
The TouchWiz of 2017 was no longer like the one of 2010, but the damage was done. Many were left with the refrain that TouchWiz was the devil and The only possible alternative was to change the name. Thus was born the Samsung Experience, launched in 2017 as a version of the Samsung layer based on Android 7.0 Nougat.
Samsung Experience debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The Samsung experiment started as Samsung Galaxy Note 7 SoftwareMay she rest in peace, code name Grace UX. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fell by the wayside (if you ignore the FE version that arrived later), but the software ended up becoming the Samsung experience that would dominate… this one, the Samsung experience , for 2017 and 2018. It was a short reign.
Samsung Experience
Samsung Experience was the name of a more modern design and minimalist back when mobile screens were starting to take over the front lines. New style for icons, menus and practically the entire system.
Samsung Experience has shaken up the system responding to the main criticisms of TouchWiz. It came with better performance, a reorganization of settings to make each option easier to find, more customization options, a new interface for the camera and Bixby. Samsung Experience was released in version 8.0 based on Android Nougat and said goodbye with version 9.5 based on Android Oreo 8.1.
|
Samsung Experience Version |
YEAR |
Android version |
News |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Samsung Experience 8.0 |
2017 |
Android 7.0 Nougat |
New design New always-on mode Samsung Cloud Icon packs |
|
Samsung Experience 8.1 |
2017 |
Android 7.0 Nougat |
Design changes DeX Bixby |
|
Samsung Experience 8.5 |
2017 |
Android 7.1.1 Nougat |
Application pairs S Pen improvements Better user experience |
|
Samsung Experience 9.0 |
2018 |
Android 8.0 Oreo |
Double messenger More customization on the home screen Improvements to notifications and quick settings Smart objects |
|
Samsung Experience 9.5 |
2018 |
Android 8.1 Oreo |
Bixby2.0 Emoji 11.0 |
In the end, there was only one left: a single user interface
Samsung Experience greatly improved the perception of the Samsung layer, but it still had some touch of TouchWiz with a little makeup. Samsung’s next software change was the radical overhaul of One UIwhich was officially unveiled, with One UI 1.0, in 2018.
A 1.0 user interface
One UI represented a radical change, with a completely different design philosophy from what we had seen before. Inspired by Material Theming, A user interface embraces curves and simplificationthe colors and headers that differentiated one part of the app for touch and another for viewing content.
One UI debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and since then It has been updated religiously with each new version of Androidfrom One UI 1.0 2018 based on Android 9.0 Pie to the most recent One UI 6.0 based on Android 14. Every year, with a premiere arriving with the new generation of Galaxy S.
A 6.0 user interface
In One UI, Samsung seems to have found a way to get rid of TouchWiz’s bad reputation once and for all, which has helped a lot the new update policy
One UI is so healthy that Samsung recently announced it would bring its name to more devices beyond mobile phones and tablets.
The system also remains fresh in terms of design and functionalitywith frequent refreshes that add more capabilities without performance being an issue like in the past.
|
A UI version |
YEAR |
Android version |
News |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A 1.0 user interface |
2018 |
Android Pie 9.0 |
First version with a completely new design |
|
ONE UI 1.1 |
2019 |
Android Pie 9.0 |
Minor changes |
|
A 1.5 user interface |
2019 |
Android Pie 9.0 |
Camera improvements DEX Improvements Better integration with Windows |
|
A UI 2.0 |
2019 |
Android 10 |
Best dark mode Better gesture navigation Digital Wellbeing Tools |
|
A UI 2.1 |
2020 |
Android 10 |
Camera improvements, including new modes Quick share Share music |
|
A UI 2.5 |
2020 |
Android 10 |
Samsung Dex Wireless Camera improvements Gesture and keyboard improvements |
|
A UI 3.0 |
2020 |
Android 11 |
New smoother animations Animation changes Improved privacy controls |
|
A UI 3.1 |
2021 |
Android 11 |
Multitasking improvements Camera optimizations Privacy Improvements |
|
A 3.1.1 user interface |
2021 |
Android 11 |
Folding Improvements Flexible mode |
|
A UI 4.0 |
2021 |
Android 12 |
Material You Privacy panel More widgets |
|
A 4.1 user interface |
2022 |
Android 12 |
Night photography improvements More editing options for photos Smart widgets More customization options |
|
ONE UI 4.1.1 |
2022 |
Android 12 |
Multitasking improvements Optimizations for folding |
|
A UI 5.0 |
2022 |
Android 13 |
More customization options and themes Improved notifications Animation improvements |
|
A 5.1 user interface |
2023 |
Android 13 |
More features in the camera Multitasking improvements |
|
A 5.1.1 user interface |
2023 |
Android 13 |
Optimizations for folding Best flexible mode |
|
A 6.0 user interface |
2023 |
Android 14 |
New interface More customizable quick settings New widgets Animation improvements |
|
A 6.1 user interface |
2024 |
Android 14 |
Galaxy AI Features |
|
A 6.1.1 user interface |
2024 |
Android 14 |
AI features for previous models that didn’t have them before |
Yes It looks like we’ll have One UI for a whileFor a few weeks now, the company has announced plans to bring the One UI brand to other devices. Samsung TVs, which used Tizen, are already updated to One UI.
In Xataka Android | A single user interface is good, but if you enable these 5 settings on your Samsung mobile, it’s even better
