Samsung's one ui 8.5 beta arrives for galaxy s23, but there's a catch

Samsung has expanded its One UI 8.5 Beta program, now including its flagship Galaxy S23 series. The update, which fixes several known issues, has been rolled out in India and South Korea, with global availability expected soon.

What's fixed in one ui 8.5 beta 2

The latest beta patch addresses several problems plaguing the Galaxy S23 lineup. A notorious 'black screen' issue during incoming calls has been squashed, as has proximity release behavior during phone conversations.

Additionally, green lines in 4K HDR videos on certain camera apps are no longer a concern. Bluetooth stability has been improved to prevent sudden crashes, and the multi-touch issue, which could occur with some accessibility settings enabled, now delivers a more reliable touch response.

Missing features

Despite the bug fixes, Galaxy S23 owners don't get any of the S26-exclusive features, including the highly anticipated AirDrop functionality. The device also lacks Samsung's AI-powered features like Bixby text call, Brief, and Nudge, which were previously rumored to be coming to the series.

This discrepancy has led some to question the point of the One UI 8.5 Beta for the Galaxy S23, given the lack of meaningful upgrades. With Samsung reportedly only committing to Android 17 updates for the series, it raises questions about the device's long-term support and feature parity with newer models.

While Samsung's decision to exclude the S23 from its most advanced AI-driven features might be due to hardware limitations, the disappointing experience for early adopters is undeniable. As the tech landscape continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, Samsung risks leaving its loyal customer base feeling increasingly disconnected from the company's vision for the future of mobile.