One UI 8.5 Beta Applied to Galaxy S25 Series: A Look at the New Features

[Financial News] Samsung Electronics announced on the 9th that it is launching a beta program for One UI 8.5.
One UI 8.5 is based on the previous One UI 8 and is characterized by significantly enhanced AI capabilities and improved device connectivity.
The One UI 8.5 beta program will be rolled out sequentially to Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra users in six countries: Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, and India.
Users who wish to participate in this beta program can apply through the Samsung Members app on their Galaxy phones.
One UI 8.5 has been improved to allow users to create and share content more conveniently.
The AI-powered image editing feature, Photo Assist, has greatly reduced the hassle of editing images. With tools like Generative Edit and Portrait Studio, users can now edit images continuously without having to save after every step.
With One UI 8.5, users can manage image editing history more easily and in a variety of ways.
Previously, users could only 'undo' edits in the AI image editing history. Now, One UI 8.5 allows users to selectively apply or remove edits at specific stages while viewing the editing history.
The content sharing feature, Quick Share, has also been improved to make it easier to find recipients.
When users link contact information to portrait photos saved in the gallery, the system will recommend sending the photo to the person identified in the image.
One UI 8.5 also strengthens connectivity between Galaxy phones and various nearby devices.
A new Audio Broadcast feature has been added, allowing users to transmit their voice directly to nearby audio devices using their Galaxy phone.
After connecting the phone to a nearby LE Audio device, users can speak into the phone’s built-in microphone and have their voice transmitted in real time to the connected LE Audio device.
LE Audio is an audio standard that operates via low-power Bluetooth and can connect to multiple devices simultaneously.
Additionally, with the Storage Sharing feature, users can easily access files from other Galaxy devices such as tablets and PCs on their phone. Through the My Files app, files, images, and videos stored on nearby Galaxy devices can be accessed directly.
One UI 8.5 further enhances the existing Stolen Device Protection feature.
A new Failed Authentication Lock feature has been introduced, which automatically locks the phone if it is lost or stolen while the screen is on.
For example, even if the lock screen is disabled, if multiple failed attempts are made to change the lock screen password or access the Secure Folder, the screen will automatically lock.
Samsung Electronics plans to analyze and refine user feedback from the beta program to further improve the official version of One UI 8.5. The official version will be pre-installed on the next Galaxy S series, launching in the first half of next year, and will be rolled out sequentially to existing Galaxy devices.
mkchang@fnnews.com Jang Min-kwon Reporter