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Amazon is currently offering a $100 discount on the 256GB Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. The phone features a 6.7-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 8GB of RAM, a triple rear camera system led by a 50MP main sensor, and a roughly 4,700mAh battery with wired, wireless, and reverse wireless charging. It ships with One UI 9 and Samsung's pledge of seven years of OS upgrades and security updates.
Samsung's One UI 9 update changes how the Galaxy Z Flip's cover screen works, replacing the previous wallpaper-and-clock home view with a Now Brief dashboard or widget page after unlocking. Users on Reddit and Samsung's community forums say this makes it harder to return to their customized cover screen and has removed the ability to double-tap the unlocked screen to turn it off.
Samsung Galaxy users running One UI 9 reported Android Auto failing to connect or frequently dropping connections, even over wired cables. Google confirmed it was aware of the issue and has now told Android Authority that a fix addressing the Android 17/One UI 9 problem is already rolling out.
A reader poll of over 1,300 respondents found most Samsung users satisfied with the One UI 9 update, with 35.1% calling it 'fine' and 25.9% saying they're 'loving it.' However, nearly 15% reported being unimpressed, with several commenters specifically citing faster battery drain as a problem after installing the Android 17-based update.
Multiple Samsung Galaxy owners, including S26, S25 Edge, S24 Ultra and A55 users, report that Android Auto fails to connect or repeatedly disconnects after installing One UI 9. Fixes like re-pairing, clearing app data, and using a wired connection have not resolved the issue for affected users. Google has confirmed its Android Auto team received at least one complaint and forwarded it internally, but has not identified a cause or fix.
Samsung is rolling out One UI 9 Watch to its Galaxy Watch lineup, having already shipped it on the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 and pushed beta versions to the Watch 7 and 8 series. However, because older models only qualify for four major OS upgrades versus five for the newest watches, a couple of devices have aged out and won't receive the update.
Samsung's One UI 9, built on Android 17, includes several exclusive tools not found on other Android devices, spanning device connectivity, security protections, and audio sharing features tied to Samsung's ownership of Harman Kardon, Denon, and JBL. These capabilities are also present in One UI 8.5 and the earlier One UI 8, meaning even older Samsung devices that don't upgrade to the newest software can still access them.
Samsung released an Instagram ad for its Galaxy Z Fold 8 that shows a sliced apple rolling past its foldable phone lineup from 2019 through 2026, taking aim at Apple's recently launched iPhone Duo. The ad highlights that the $1,900 Z Fold 8, using new Flex Titanium display tech and silicon-carbon battery tech, is thinner and lighter than the $1,999 iPhone Duo.
Samsung has started pushing its Android 17-based One UI 9 update to the Galaxy A16 and Galaxy A35 in the US, according to SamMobile. The Galaxy A35 receives firmware A356USQUCEZJ2 while the Galaxy A16 gets A166USQUAEZJ5, bringing expanded Quick Panel customization, Samsung Notes tweaks, a redesigned Samsung Health app, and new background privacy indicators for microphone and location use.
DuckDuckGo publicly criticized Samsung for embedding a non-removable Google search bar on One UI 9 home screens, even for users who prefer other search engines. The bar, unlike a typical widget, cannot be long-pressed or dragged away, though Samsung does allow users to turn it off entirely through Home screen settings. The change builds on Android 17's revamped search widget system, which Motorola has also adopted.
Android Authority surveyed over 1,500 readers about their experience with Samsung's newly released stable One UI 9 update. Roughly 54% of those who have installed it reported encountering no issues, while about 31% experienced at least minor bugs, ranging from stuttering animations to missing notifications.
Samsung's One UI 9, running Android 17, delivers a smooth experience and timely security patches on the Galaxy S26 Plus, according to an Android Authority reviewer. However, the reviewer says Galaxy AI features like Now Brief and Now Nudge continue to underdeliver, with Now Brief failing to surface news matching the user's stated interests even after customization.