Following revelations of their long-awaited foldable smartphone, Samsung has also revealed they have reskinned Android 9 Pie with a much more user-friendly version dubbed the One UI which will be rolled out to developers in select markets beginning in November for beta testing.
Samsung state that One UI is made to help users focus on “what really matters” and features rounded corners, redesigned icons and a decluttered screen.
The main purpose of One UI is to make smartphones with larger screens easier to use by placing key interaction areas near the bottom of the screen.
Other improvements include a Night Mode that is implemented across the entire system to make the screen more comfortable to use when its dark and “focus blocks” which show more details in apps which are also easier to tap with less precision.
Samsung’s Senior Designer of UX Design, Jee Won Lee, walked the crowd through a demonstration of the One UI.
An early preview of One UI was released earlier reports of Samsung’s upcoming Android 9 Pie beta for its smartphones which is slated to roll out beta testing this month.
One UI — and by extension Android 9 Pie — will be released for the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and Note 9 starting in January 2019.
The One UI will be available to developers in the US, Germany, and Korea, followed by more countries in Europe and Asia beginning in November via Samsung’s official beta testing program.
