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Unveiling Samsung’s One UI 8.5 Update: A Surprising Upgrade Ahead

Published

2 months ago

January 23, 2026

BTI Team

Summary generated by Smart Answers AI

Summarized:

Samsung is set to release a new One UI 8.5 beta with significant new features, including a major upgrade to the Bixby assistant powered by LLMs and Perplexity integration.
The update may introduce features like Direct Voicemail, real-time web searches within Bixby, and improved contextual understanding for device settings.
A new kernel version is expected to enhance performance and stability for Galaxy smartphones in the upcoming beta release.

Samsung is launching a new One UI 8.5 beta this week, promising to bring more significant features than anticipated.

Even though we knew One UI 8.5 would be a major update before the first beta, the upcoming beta could exceed expectations.

The new One UI 8.5 beta, as reported by SamMobile, might include Direct Voicemail, similar to Apple’s Live Voicemail, allowing your Galaxy smartphone to take messages if you miss a call.

Additionally, the new beta is expected to come with a new kernel version, which should improve overall performance and stability.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Enhanced Bixby

Samsung has confirmed that One UI 8.5 will bring a significant upgrade to the Bixby assistant. Utilizing large language models (LLMs) and Perplexity, Bixby will adopt a more natural conversational style typical of modern AI assistants.

In a recent post, Samsung mentioned that the new Bixby will better understand context when responding to queries and interacting with on-device settings.

For example, Bixby will be able to keep the screen on when you’re looking at it, rather than providing a list of manual instructions. It can also comprehend the need to activate settings like Accidental Touch Protection when questioned about why the screen remains on in your pocket.

The integration of Perplexity will enable Bixby to conduct real-time web searches and display results within the Bixby interface, eliminating the need to switch to a separate app.