Samsung Accelerates One UI 9 Rollout: Galaxy S25 Joins Beta as S26 Stable Release Nears

Samsung’s software ecosystem is rapidly evolving as the company pushes its latest operating system, One UI 9, to a broader range of devices. Following the platform’s initial launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series in late July, Samsung has entered a critical phase of its deployment, transitioning several key models from testing to stable, public-ready builds.

Galaxy S25 Joins the Beta Program

In a significant development as of September 1st, Samsung has officially expanded its One UI 9 beta program to include the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra. Users in the U.S., U.K., South Korea, and India can now access the first beta build—a roughly 4GB update—via the Samsung Members app.

In a surprising move, the program also extends to the Galaxy S25 FE in South Korea, marking the first time a mid-range device has been included in this stage of the rollout. This signals a proactive effort by Samsung to ensure its “Fan Edition” users are not sidelined in the transition to the latest Android architecture.

Galaxy S26: The Doorstep of a Stable Release

While the S25 series is diving into beta, the Galaxy S26 is approaching its full release. Recent reports from noted tech tracker Tarun Vats confirm the appearance of multiple stable build candidates (BZHO and BZHK). The rapid succession of these builds suggests that Samsung is in the final stages of optimization, with an official stable update expected to reach consumers in the coming days or weeks.

The current beta for the S26, Beta 7, has already brought flagship-grade features down from the Galaxy Z Fold 8. These include:

• Enhanced Finder: Now integrated with Google Search for faster, more comprehensive results.
• My FanCam: An innovative feature allowing users to record wide-angle crowd footage and later zoom in to “spotlight” specific individuals in the Gallery.
• Now Nudge: A proactive AI assistant that suggests contextual actions, such as automatically opening your calendar when discussing a meeting in a text thread.

The Gemini Intelligence Divide

As the rollout progresses, a clearer picture is emerging regarding the limitations of Samsung’s AI capabilities. Despite running on the new software, the recently launched Galaxy S26 FE will not support the “agentic” capabilities of Gemini Intelligence—the high-level AI that can independently book reservations or navigate through apps to complete complex tasks.

The likely culprit is hardware constraints. Google’s requirements for full Gemini agentic intelligence necessitate a minimum of 12GB of RAM. With the S26 FE shipping with 8GB, it falls below the performance threshold required for these advanced features. While the device retains a suite of non-agentic AI tools, the divide suggests that premium AI experiences may remain gated behind high-end hardware.

Whether older flagship devices with 12GB of RAM will receive these advanced features remains a point of contention. As Samsung continues its One UI 9 update schedule through the end of the year, users are watching closely to see if those capabilities are delivered via software patch or reserved for future hardware cycles.

Looking Ahead

Beyond the S25 and S26, other devices are also on the move. The Galaxy S24, S23, and Z Fold 7 have all received new internal beta builds (ZZHL), indicating that their respective paths to the final software are maturing. For the Galaxy S24 specifically, indications suggest Samsung may bypass a broad public beta entirely, moving straight to a stable release.

For now, Galaxy owners are encouraged to keep a close watch on the Samsung Members app for regional rollout alerts.