As endearing as Samsung is, it has a weird knack for tarnishing its image by artificially gating some features so as to nudge its customer base towards newer offerings. In doing so, the South Korean behemoth not only reeks of desperation but also risks alienating some of its most loyal customers. Samsung is perplexingly gating Buds 4 Pro's Super Wideband speech, excluding the S24 series when the underlying hardware support exists One of the features of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is its Super Wideband speech, which doubles the standard Bluetooth call bandwidth from 8kHz to 16kHz, resulting in […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsung-resorting-to-gimmicks-to-inflate-the-sales-of-its-newer-flagships-even-though-the-galaxy-s26-series-is-doing-fairly-good/

Samsung is expanding AirDrop support for Galaxy S25 series and S24 series smartphones around the globe for cross-platform file sharing. The feature support is released for One UI 8.5 firmware version under the beta program with beta 9 and beta 2 for S25 and S24 models, respectively.

AirDrop support for these phones will be available through Quick Share. Once upgraded, the Quick Share menu will show you “Share with Apple device”. This option will be enabled by default, but you can perform a double check.

To send a file over to an iPhone, the user needs to change thhe change the AirDrop visibility to everyone. The same needs to be done to the Quick Share to receive files from an iPhone.

AirDrop support for Quick Share is a big progress to bridge the gap between the two ecosystems. This move will improve how the two smartphone users can share files without a slow solution like Bluetooth and without following complex instructions. The file sharing is also fast and supports different file types to facilitate the user experience.

This feature was first released for the Galaxy S26 series through a dedicated software update. However, AirDrop support is now expanding to old Galaxy devices.

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Samsung is expanding the One UI 8.5 beta program, this time for the Galaxy S23 series, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, and Galaxy S23 FE. Along with these, the company also joined Galaxy A36 5G, the first from the A-series.

Samsung is allowing these phones to enter the beta program and test the latest features before the stable release. Before these phones, Samsung also introduced the Galaxy S24 series in the test pool.

One thing to notice here is that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5’s One UI 8.5 beta is limited to certain markets. Samsung has announced that these two phone users in the U.S. and Korea can participate in the beta program. We don’t know the reason for these limitations, but that’s how it is. On the other hand, the Galaxy A36 5G’s beta is limited to Indian users.

First opened in December, the One UI 8.5 beta program inducted the Galaxy S25 series. Following a four-month run, the company is still testing One UI 8.5 for the lineup. Earlier today, the S25 series, along with the S24 series, received the 9th and 8th beta updates, respectively.

The first thing that these phones are getting is AirDrop support for Quick Share to send and receive files. That said, users just need to weaken the visibility setting, and you can turn your Galaxy smartphone into a cross-platform device for AirDrop file sharing.

Furthermore, the new betas add new camera improvements as well as bug fixes for a smoother user experience.

More to come

Samsung has confirmed that the One UI 8.5 beta program will not end here and will be expanding to more devices later this month. You can stay connected with us to know more about these phones when the program opens.

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With new One UI 8.5 Beta updates, Samsung has fresh perks for the users of Galaxy S25 and S24 series: AirDrop sharing and three new camera filters.

Samsung just dropped One UI 8.5 Beta 9 and Beta 2 updates for the S25 and S24 series, respectively. Changelog of both updates carry exact the same content, even the ending of the PDA version is also the same.

What’s impressive is the addition of AirDrop support and new camera filters.

AirDrop sharing update

Users of the S25 and S24 phones can now share files with iPhone users. Quick Share has been upgraded with AirDrop support.

The upgraded Quick Share allows you to transfer photos, videos, and other supported files across Android and iOS. The best part: neither party needs to install any other app; just the preinstalled apps work.

• Samsung AirDrop-Quick Share Feature: Everything you need to know

Samsung first brought AirDrop support to the Galaxy S26 series. We heard in the past that an expansion is being planned for various devices. With the latest Beta builds, AirDrop is no longer exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series.

Camera filters

Samsung’s release notes also mention the addition of three new camera filters, namely Classic Film, Pop Film, and Blanc. Thanks to the new filters, Galaxy Camera now has an even wider set of presets to assist in photography.

Related article:

• Galaxy S26’s Photo Assist and Log Video upgrades coming to older Samsung phones

Apart from this, the updates bring various improvements and bug fixes. The aim is to optimize the system stability and reliability. Rumors say Beta 10 would also arrive, which could drop sometime around April 20.

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Samsung just released the latest Beta updates for Galaxy flagships. The Galaxy S25 series is getting the One UI 8.5 Beta 9 and the Galaxy S24 series is getting One UI 8.5 Beta 2.

The latest ZZD5 build is available in India, and the expansion will cover more countries, including Germany, Poland, South Korea, the UK, and the US.

One UI 8.5 Beta 9 for Galaxy S25 and Beta 2 for Galaxy S24 bring a mix of useful features and small fixes. The biggest highlight is support for AirDrop connection with Apple devices, making file sharing easier.

The camera gets three new filters called Classic Film, Pop Film, and Blanc, giving users more creative options. The filters derived from the latest flagships as part of offering more ways to capture your moments.

Samsung has also fixed issues like Bluetooth randomly disconnecting and notification cards appearing cut off at the top. Several visual and performance problems have been improved across the system.

These include screen flickering during dual recording zoom, stuttering when opening gallery albums, and incorrect AOD time display in certain situations.

Samsung also refined the overall interface for better usability. Notification cards now behave properly when rotating the device, and the lock screen no longer flashes briefly during incoming calls before switching to the call screen.

Source – SammyFans

Changelog – Galaxy S25 Beta 9 and Galaxy S24 Beta 2

1. Support for AirDrop connection with Apple devices
2. Applied 3 new camera filters (Classic Film, Pop Film, Blanc)
3. Improved issue where Bluetooth connection disconnects and reconnects periodically
4. Improved issue where the top part of the notification card was cut off
5. Improved issue where the screen flickers and colors are distorted when changing zoom level during dual recording
6. Improved stuttering issue when entering gallery albums under certain conditions
7. Improved issue where AOD time information was displayed incorrectly in certain situations
8. Improved notification card Ul when the device is rotated
9. Improved issue where the lock screen briefly appeared during an incoming call before transitioning to the call screen

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We are in the second week of April, the likely timeline when Samsung could rollout new One UI 8.5 Beta updates for Galaxy S25, S24 and S23 series.

One UI 8.5 Beta Program is already open for Galaxy S25 and S24 series, whereas the Galaxy S23 lineup may mark its entry this April. Newly discovered builds are the same across all lineups, signaling a good pace of testing.

Users of the Galaxy S25 series will get the 9th Beta, while the Galaxy S24 series users will get the 2nd Beta. Users of the Galaxy S23 series will join the Beta Program, with signups bringing them the 1st build over the air.

Next One UI 8.5 Beta builds could be as follows:

• Galaxy S25 Series → ZZD5
• Galaxy S24 Series → ZZD5
• Galaxy S23 Series → ZZD5

Galaxy S25 series may also receive the 10th Beta update. The rollout is expected to take place on 20th of April. We also heard that the public release could begin at the end of this month, while Global expansion may happen on May 4.

• Mega One UI 8.5 Beta plan: Galaxy S25 to get Beta 9 and 10
• Stable One UI 8.5 release dates leak for Galaxy S25 series

Samsung has officially released the One UI 8.5 on March 11. Galaxy S26 series comes preinstalled with the latest version of the software. Older devices will likely begin grabbing the official update sometime in May this year.

New One UI 8.5 beta builds spotted

• Galaxy S25 Series → ZZD5
• Galaxy S24 Series →ZZD5
• Galaxy S23 Series → ZZD5

Samsung appears to be preparing for its next beta rollout pic.twitter.com/9fG6bh1udX

— Alfatürk (@Alfaturk16) April 8, 2026

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Samsung just shipped the April 2026 security update to the Galaxy S24 and S23 series, including FE models. The rollout follows the recent opening for the Galaxy S25 series, which followed the wider availability of the Galaxy S26 series.

The April 2026 update is now available for download on the Galaxy S24, S24 FE, S24+, S24 Ultra, S23, S23 FE, S23+, and S23 Ultra devices. The rollout has only started in South Korea, with wider availability following in the next few days.

Samsung yesterday revealed the details of its April 2026 security patch. The OTA carries forty-seven improvements for Galaxy users. If your device runs a Snapdragon chip, expect four fewer patches than Exynos devices.

• Read More: Don’t ignore April 2026 patch, Samsung reveals crucial details

Software update notifications may be delayed. You can speed up the process by manually fetching the latest firmware. To do so, open Settings, followed by Software update page and hit the Download and install.

One UI 8.5 Beta is available on the Galaxy S24 series. Samsung is preparing to kickstart the Beta testing for the S23 series. The Beta Program expansion will likely take place this month, while the exact timeline is unknown.

April patch sets the foundation for the Beta Program opening. If you’re a Galaxy S24 smartphone user and enrolled in Beta, it’s not the one for you. The security patch is based on One UI 8.0, which is based on Android 16.

• When Galaxy S24 users may get another chance at One UI 8.5 Beta

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A new experiment from Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) offers a rare, side-by-side look at how Samsung’s smartphone selfies from the original Galaxy S1 to the latest Galaxy S26 have evolved over more than 15 years.

The YouTuber recreated the same self-portrait across every major Galaxy S generation, starting from the original Galaxy S1 and moving all the way to the Galaxy S26.

The intent was simple: hold framing constant and expose the shifts in HDR handling, color tuning, and computational photography.

Early Galaxy S models lean heavily on basic sensor output, with limited dynamic range and inconsistent exposure control. The transition phase begins around the mid-2010s.

Devices like the S6 and S7 introduce more reliable HDR stacking, though results often skew toward artificial contrast. By the time Samsung enters the S10 and S20 era, the company is clearly pushing computational photography harder.

Recent models show a different philosophy. The S23 and S24 outputs appear more controlled. Skin tones are steadier and highlights retain detail without aggressive flattening.

One result breaks the progression; the Galaxy S20 stands out for the wrong reasons. The 2020’s flagship struggles with both dynamic range and clarity. Bright areas wash out, while facial details lack definition.

The S23 and S24 represent a stable baseline, where HDR, detail retention, and tonal accuracy are largely in sync. The improvements on the recent models, including the Galaxy S25 and S26, are now incremental, not dramatic.

It's Samsung's turn: I took the same photo with every gen Samsung Galaxy S from 26 to 1. Holy HDR pic.twitter.com/AoLsKBwEFf

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 7, 2026

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