Galaxy S9 Android Pie One UI Beta Program Has Begun

It's understandable that many are curious if not excited over Samsung's Android 9 update. And it's not just because of the Pie. Renamed as One UI, it exhibits Samsung's biggest changes to its user interface that eclipses the mostly cosmetic ones it did in the Samsung Experience UX. Plus, it will be the UI that will run on its foldable phone next year. If that excitement turns into more than just mere curiosity, then you might want to try out Samsung's One UI Android Pie beta. That is, if your Galaxy S9 or S9+ qualifies.

Interest over this Samsung One UI isn't all positive, of course. Even those on Samsung's camp are curious how far the company will manage to mess up its Android interface. While it seemed that Samsung was finally falling in line for the past 2 years, it now has made a complete U-turn and will be striking its own path yet again.

And it's not just because its going overboard with the use of rounded corners that were perhaps inspired by Android Pie's own design language. It will also be changing how some apps behave fundamentally, like moving important controls to the bottom of the screen for easier reach. While it will be argued that it could help usability, it definitely strays far from the Android standard.

And it's just the tip of the iceberg, as you can see from XDA's screenshot above. There are more changes, those mostly confined to Samsung's own apps. And it's only just begun, as the next few weeks are expected to reveal more changes to Samsung's UX. Maybe even some hints on how One UI will behave in foldable phones.

The One UI beta program has now started but, as previously announced, it will be limited to a few countries. Currently only South Korea, Germany, and the US are known to get it. Plus, it's only available on the Galaxy S9 and S9+, no Galaxy Note 9 yet. It might be too early to judge if this is Samsung's final direction for One UI but, considering it's in beta already, some things are probably already set in stone.