GoKawiil
Tech News
Android Authority ran a reader poll asking whether long-term software support is a priority when buying a new phone, drawing 1,455 responses. About 46% called it a top priority, 38% said it matters but isn't a dealbreaker, and roughly 16% said price matters more than software longevity.
Samsung's Thailand Newsroom page originally listed September 21 as the One UI 9 update date for its latest flagship line, but that listing has quietly been changed to September 28, aligning it with the Galaxy S25 series and Galaxy Z Fold 7. The shift comes even though Samsung already began rolling out the stable update in Korea days earlier. No official explanation has been given for the change.
Samsung's new Galaxy S26 FE closely mirrors its predecessor, the S25 FE, with only minor design tweaks like a glossy back, a unified camera island, and slightly larger dimensions. The phone keeps the same 8GB RAM and 128GB base storage as last year's model but now costs $50 more, while switching to an Exynos 2500 chip.
A Galaxy S25 FE owner reported overheating and rapid battery drain and initially assumed Samsung's One UI software was to blame. Investigation revealed the actual cause was a third-party app running on the device, not the operating system itself.
Samsung has released One UI 9 Beta 2 for the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra in South Korea, a 643MB update expected to expand to other beta markets soon. Beyond bug fixes for Wi-Fi drops, Contacts crashes, and translation errors, the build adds four AI features first seen on newer Samsung flagships: Call Brief, Custom Cards in Now Brief, Now Nudge, and My FanCam.
A CNET reviewer says the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has become their favorite phone to use daily, citing its slim 4.5mm unfolded profile, 9.7mm folded thickness, and light 201-gram weight. The device lacks a telephoto camera and has an average 4,800-mAh battery, but its compact form factor and versatile display have made it stand out compared to past innovative designs like the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 has become the first Galaxy smartwatch to support seamless updates, according to users who spotted the change during its first firmware update carrying the August 5, 2026 security patch. Instead of forcing the watch offline during installation, the roughly 193MB update downloaded and installed in the background while the device remained usable. Samsung did not announce the feature in its specs or changelog; it was discovered by users during installation.
Samsung has enabled Horizontal Lock, a video stabilization feature originally exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series, on the Galaxy S25 through One UI 9 Beta 1. The feature uses gyroscope data and cropping to keep recorded footage level even as the phone is rotated or flipped during recording. The beta, which also brings Android 17, has begun rolling out in South Korea, the UK, and India.
Samsung has begun rolling out the first One UI 9 beta update to the Galaxy S25 lineup, following months of testing limited to the Galaxy S26 series. The update, roughly 3,862MB with firmware DZHK, brings Android 17 and the August 5, 2026 security patch, and is currently available in South Korea, the UK, and India, including on the Galaxy S25 FE.
A year after buying the Galaxy S25 Edge outright, a reviewer traded it in for a Galaxy Z Fold 8, citing persistent battery and screen shortcomings that undercut its ultra-thin, lightweight design. Despite flagship specs like the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a 200MP camera packed into a 5.8mm body, Samsung has shown no sign of releasing a follow-up model.