One Ui 7 looks like a visit to the corner in the favorite restaurant around the corner, only that a lot goes wrong this time. While everyone else is already feasting and guessing how good the food will taste, you only get your order lukewarm after an extremely long waiting time. Did you forget me?
It tastes anyway.Samsung delivers(around half a year!), Nevertheless, the update in my eyes is the best that the South Koreans have so far put on the tray - and five innovations are reminiscent of it.
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Live activities do everything better
Whether on the iPhone, the Apple Watch or now on the Samsung cell phone: live activities are among the best innovations that the manufacturers have come up with.
What exactly does this function do for Samsung?
- The now bar (as it is advertised by Samsung) shows current activities such as navigation, music, timer, sports messages from Google and more on the blocking screen.
- The button is interactive. For example, you can stop the timer, skip or type the music on it to open a large pop-up window.
- Next to the lock screen, a small button (depending on the app) ends up on the top screen at the top left.
For me, these functions have a clear advantage: In many cases, I don't even have to unlock the smartphone.
Settings are made easy
If I only onethen to find options in the settings easier, faster and more reliably.
Samsung has introduced an enormous improvement here with One UI 7. I enter problem descriptions in the above search field such as "The display is too light". Alternatively, I try the search by voice control. The result is impressive, because rarely I don't end up with the desired option.
The highlight: Essential key words fall away and my search no longer ends in frustration. In addition, Samsung offers various subject areas in the new search that I can search, including emergency, data backup, personalization, prevention of loss and much more!
Here are two of my favorite examples:
- With the pixel smartphones, for example, I find the function for the Always-on display under "Always display time and information". However, you have to know that with the search function.
- I am looking for "automatic brightness" on the iPhone, but land with "Display & brightness". Unfortunately, this option does not exist there. "Auto-brightness" would have been right when searching. Ätsch Bätsch.
Logical: I now know very well where the manufacturers hide the important options and that is certainly nothing that you need every day. For people who are less smartphone-savvy and change the operating system, this innovation is enormous help.
One UI 7: The new camera app
The new camera app is one of my top 3 highlights in One UI 7. The manufacturer inserts them seamlessly into the original philosophy of the operating system: to reach as many options as possible with only one hand.
Almost all camera settings from ISO, shutter speed to white balance to resolution and lens I reach with one hand - despite the enormous size of a Galaxy S25 Ultra. Since RAW files are activated for me anyway, I hardly need the upper menu.
As with the older operating system versions of Samsung, the most frequently used cameramodi can be arranged in the lower bar.
Speaking of Camodamodi: Depending on the smartphone model, One UI 7 offers a very practical video function: Log.
- Videos in the log profile record more information from the camera sensor and enable a potentially higher dynamic range in post-processing. The profile preserves more details in the shadows and lights.
- Such recordings offer the basis for better color correction and thus more flexibility.
- Samsung already brings a so-called LUT (look-up table), which can be activated in the gallery. To put it simply, LUTS serve to convert the flat image of a log profile into a high-contrast and color-speaking picture.
- Log is also available for all video resolutions and refresh rates.
Finally, I would like to mention the new zoom function when filming. The "zoom wheel" feels very smooth and intuitive, which leads to liquid video zooms.
The vertical app drawer
I have a lousy excuse for my joy about the vertical app drawer. I am used to this from other Android smartphones and was never able to make friends with Samsung's approach.
In addition, the new sorting offers me an alphabetical order that I like much better.
The good news is that both sides get their money's worth, because Samsung gives you the choice. In the following article, if you want to use the new Drawer app, learn how to do this:
Charging limit of 80 percent
I mainly use my smartphone for reading, messaging services, for photography and now and then to film. In rare cases, the juice goes out within a day.
So why not protect the battery and limit the charging limit to 80 percent? One UI 7 offers four charging limits to choose from in the settings:
- 80 percent
- 85 percent
- 90 percent
- 95 percent
Alternatively, the adaptive solution can be found in the settings. With this setting, the cell phone is initially loaded 80 percent. Depending on your sleeping behavior, the remaining percent are loaded shortly before waking up.
On April 10, 2025, One UI 7 is to be rolled out for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24+, S24, Z Fold6 and Flip6 today. Some other models will follow this month, others are expected to be patient until May or June. After all, there is good news for Android 16: The next big update Samsung should be much faster when distributing.
