Summary
- Samsung is set to kickstart the One UI 6 beta program, giving users in the US, Germany, and South Korea the chance to experience the new Galaxy interface with Android 14.
- The beta program will include all three Galaxy S23 models and will introduce a revamped Quick Settings UI with an iOS-inspired design and a new camera widget that allows users to choose where photos are stored.
- Instead of releasing a 5.1.1 update, Samsung is likely to jump directly to One UI 6.0 with the Android 14 update, focusing on bug fixes and optimization for tablets and foldables.
Samsung has steadily been improving the momentum of its software update over the last few years. When it comes to the monthly security patches, the performance is already impeccable, but major Android updates are still two or three months behind Google. As usual, there's no Android 14 beta initiative from the Korean OEM, but last week there was a rumor that Samsung would be kickstarting the One UI 6 beta program in this month. That seems to be the case, as one of the regional company newsrooms accidentally announced the beta early before swiftly deleting the post.
Highlighted by several members on our forums, an official post on Samsung’s Germany newsroom revealed that the Android 14 beta for Galaxy devices was a thing and, with it, One UI 6.0. The beta had no specific date attached, but simply said that users in the US, Germany, and South Korea would be able to experience the new Galaxy interface with Android 14 right from today. The list of supported devices apparently includes all three Galaxy S23 models (standard, Plus, and Ultra) on both unlocked and carrier variants.
XDA forums:Samsung Galaxy S23 ||Galaxy S23+ ||Galaxy S23 Ultra
Along with typical Android 14 features for your phone, Samsung's announcement post has also shown a glimpse of the revamped Quick Settings UI with an almost iOS-esque design language. The company has also promised a brand-new camera widget that lets you choose where certain photos are stored before capture them.
As a matter of interest, we usually see an x.1.1 update to One UI released during the mid-year Unpacked event. However, with One UI 6.0 coming soon with the Android 14 update, most Galaxy devices will likely make the jump directly to the next major version instead of 5.1.1, which is set to fix bugs and optimize existing features on tablets and foldables rather than add anything substantial.
Unfortunately, though, Samsung has since deleted the announcement post entirely. The link still works without any redirection, but now shows a message saying "The page does not exist or an error has occurred." Nonetheless, once the beta program goes live, you should be able to enroll using the Samsung Members app.
Source:Samsung Germany newsroom
