Seoul, April 17, 2026, 01:38 KST
Samsung expanded One UI 8.5 beta testing to a wider batch of older Galaxy models, with fresh beta versions landing for the Galaxy A54 and A55 in India. A ninth test build for the Galaxy S25 also turned up stateside. According to SamMobile, this S25 release brings Apple-device transfer support. File sizes: roughly 2.19GB for the A55 beta, and about 2.73GB on A54—suggesting Samsung’s push isn’t limited to its latest premium models.
This is notable since, up to now, Samsung’s early software previews have stuck to newer Galaxy S and Z devices. Opening things up means a wider pool of users gets a taste of Galaxy AI features ahead of launch—something that could help Samsung edge closer to Apple’s ecosystem perks and Google’s wide Android beta network, which includes the Pixel A-series.
The rollout hasn’t happened all at once. On March 26, Samsung announced One UI 8.5 would expand beyond the Galaxy S25 launch models, heading to the Galaxy S24 series, Z Fold6, Z Flip6, S25 FE, S24 FE, and Tab S11. Then came April 9, and the company tacked on the Galaxy S23 lineup, Z Fold5, Z Flip5, S23 FE, and, marking a first, a Galaxy A-series phone: the A36 5G.
Samsung, in this expansion, announced that Quick Share—its Google-backed file-sharing tool—will allow transfers to Apple devices, but only on select One UI 8.5 beta phones for now. According to Droid-Life, referencing Samsung’s April 9 update, there’s still a catch: a footnote clarifies that live AirDrop compatibility remains exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series, with rollout schedules possibly changing depending on the market.
Next up could be the Galaxy S24 line. Multiple reports point to an internal S24 test build packing in four Galaxy S26 features: Advanced Audio Eraser, Call Screening, Creative Studio, plus a revamped Photo Assist. Samsung hasn’t locked in a launch window yet. Call Screening, for its part, leans on AI to handle unknown callers and provide a transcript. Samsung published a feature note on April 16 describing Audio Eraser for the S26 as a real-time filter for voices, music, and background noise.
Samsung isn’t pulling any punches on its AI ambitions. “Our goal is for Bixby to become the primary entry point for interacting with Samsung products,” said Jisun Park, who leads language AI for Samsung’s mobile business, in an interview on April 8. Park positioned Bixby as the gateway into a wider range of Galaxy AI features. Samsung Mobile Press
Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, noted after the Galaxy S26 launch that this lineup comes with “an even heavier dose of AI than the last generation.” That puts pressure on Samsung to push those high-profile AI features to older phones fast—not just to folks snapping up the new model. Moor Insights & Strategy
Samsung is deepening its ties to Google-backed platforms. The company is telling U.S. users they’ll need to switch from Samsung Messages to Google Messages by July 2026, when Samsung’s own app will get the axe. AP noted this week that Samsung clarified: the requirement is U.S.-only. For users, the shift means RCS—a more advanced texting standard—and access to Google Gemini features, Samsung says.
Still, a few snags remain. According to Samsung’s developer page, beta builds can have bugs or lack certain features, and updates don’t reach everyone at once. There’s no firm timeline for when the stable version lands. Apple, for its part, restricts AirDrop to its own ecosystem, while Google’s Android betas are already live for a wide range of Pixel devices.
