Galaxy S25 caught testing Samsung’s upcoming One UI 8 (Android 16) update

What you need to know

• Samsung is already deep into testing, with the Galaxy S25 running an early build of One UI 8.
• The Galaxy S25 (with Snapdragon 8 Elite + 12GB RAM) was caught red-handed running One UI 8 (Android 16) in early Geekbench benchmarks.
• Android 16 might arrive earlier than usual, possibly in June instead of late summer, and One UI 8 could launch shortly after.

Plenty of Galaxy fans are still twiddling their thumbs waiting for One UI 7 to hit their devices, but early signs hint that Samsung might speed up the release of its next big software update.

Samsung is already deep into developing Android 16 with its One UI 8 skin, as shown by recent benchmark data from the base Galaxy S25.

Shared on X by tipster Tarun Vats, a Geekbench screenshot shows the Galaxy S25 (SM-S931B) running a One UI 8 build based on Android 16. The device packs a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM.

Prior to this, internal One UI 8 test builds for the Galaxy S25 Ultra surfaced on Samsung’s servers. This new leak further confirms that Samsung is actively working on its next software release.

Samsung’s first Android 16 test builds popping up in March is a big shift. Last year, we didn’t see Android 15 test builds until May.

Way ahead of schedule?

The earlier arrival of these builds suggests One UI 8.0 is moving faster than One UI 7.0. But that’s not too surprising. Last year's 7.0 update was basically a complete makeover under the hood, so of course it needed extra time in the shop.

With all that architectural work now out of the way, Samsung is apparently able to shift gears and speed up development this time around. Unlike One UI 7, One UI 8 builds on an existing framework, allowing Samsung to focus more on optimizations and new features instead of major structural changes.

But hold the comparisons

However, comparing these two development cycles isn’t apples to apples. Google usually drops new Android versions alongside its fall Pixel launch, but rumors suggest Android 16 might arrive earlier this year, possibly in June instead of the usual August or September.

This isn't Google cutting the line, though. The tech giant is just shifting to a new development approach that speeds up major Android updates.

With Android 16 possibly launching earlier, it makes sense that Samsung is already testing One UI 8. Since the update is expected to be more incremental, its rollout could closely follow Google’s timeline.