After treating the Galaxy S25 series to One UI 8.5 Beta 7 update, it looks like the South Korean brand is prepping the first One UI 8.5 beta build for the Galaxy S23 series. It could roll out as early as next week and users in India and around the globe will soon be treated to the latest Android 16-based One UI skin.
First One UI 8.5 Beta Heading to Galaxy S23 Series
Reliable tipster Tarun Vats posted on X that he has managed to spot the One UI 8.5 beta 1 update for Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S23 FE. The leak specifically highlights the firmware build version S918BXXU9ZZD1/ S918BOXM9ZZD1/S918BXXU9FZD1, confirming that they are being prepped for deployment at Samsung's One UI test server.
While not much is known about the update right now, tech publication SamMobile has confirmed that the One UI 8.5 Beta 1 build of the Galaxy S23 series will be based on the Android 16 QPR2 update. Moreover, replying to one of the comments in the thread, Vats has noted that it is unlikely that the Galaxy S23 series will gain any of the new features that have been introduced with the Galaxy S26 series.
Hence, with the first beta update, we expect the Galaxy S23 series to gain features like Continuous Image Generation, Perplexity-powered enhanced Bixby experience and Storage Share. It could also bring AirDrop support to Quick Share, just like Samsung added AirDrop to the Galaxy S24 series via a new update.
That said, Vats has noted that the rollout of One UI 8.5 beta 1 could begin as soon as next week and Galaxy S23 users across regions like India should receive the update shortly. To know if your Samsung Galaxy phone is scheduled to get the update, make sure to check our dedicated One UI 8.5 supported device list.
