Samsung’s foldable phone was the center of attraction at its Developer Conference 2018, but the company also took some time out to discuss Android OS updates for its current handsets. It’s promised to roll out Android 9.0 Pie for the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, and Galaxy Note 9 by January 2019.
Android 9.0 Pie came out in August 2018, so the Samsung devices will be receiving the update about 5 months later. The brand’s never been the quickest to release OS upgrades, so this timeline is pretty standard for it. Its older flagship and mid-range models will probably get a taste of Pie in the months after that.
Samsung Android Pie Open Beta Program
For now, Samsung is planning to launch an open beta program for Android 9.0 later in November. According to GSMArena, only users living in the US, South Korea, and Germany will have access to this beta at first. Other European and Asian markets will get it later.
Other than a dose of Pie, owners will be greeted with a brand new skin. Samsung Experience, the current UI, is being pushed out in favor of One UI. The software was shown off on stage, detailing the various ways it’s different from before.
For example, Samsung is trying to make it easier to deal with massive phones by pushing its main content towards the bottom. This ranges from icons in the home screen to texts in the Messages app. The design has a large Viewing Area at the top with easy-to-read header text and an Interaction Area at the bottom for content.
Also Read: Samsung’s foldable phone finally makes its debut
Screenshots of Samsung’s One UI with Android 9.0 Pie have already gotten leaked online via SamMobile. People appear to be very divided over the icons, with many outright hating them. In less divisive news, One UI will introduce a system-wide dark mode so a person’s eyes won’t get strained at night.