Alongside the new Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Flip8 smartphones, Samsung has also introduced One UI 9, its latest Android 17-based software experience, during tonight’s Galaxy Unpacked event. To no one’s surprise, the update places an even greater emphasis on artificial intelligence, with the company introducing more proactive Galaxy AI features that are currently exclusive to the new foldables.
Additionally, the company is rolling out One UI 9 Watch for its latest Galaxy Watch lineup, extending many of its AI-powered experiences beyond smartphones. Samsung says the new software is designed to make Galaxy AI more personal and context-aware, while maintaining user control over privacy and security.
Galaxy AI Becomes More Proactive
One UI 9 expands Galaxy AI with new features that are designed to understand a user’s routines and provide assistance before it’s requested. Among the key additions is Now Brief, which delivers personalised insights throughout the day based on a user’s habits, interests, and schedule. The feature also now includes security and privacy insights, highlighting potential risks alongside recommended actions.
Another new capability is Now Nudge, which aims to turn AI-generated insights into actionable suggestions. For example, when discussing plans in a conversation, the assistant can recommend checking a calendar, searching for a location, or saving a place for later. On Samsung’s larger foldable displays, these suggestions can appear alongside the ongoing conversation for easier multitasking.
Samsung has also further integrated Google Gemini throughout the operating system. The AI assistant can now work across more than 40 supported apps and services, allowing users to complete tasks such as searching for tickets, finding nearby restaurants, and even making reservations without switching between multiple applications.
Gemini Notebook
One UI 9 also introduces Gemini Notebook, a persistent workspace where users can organise notes, documents, images, voice recordings, and other files in a single location. Taking advantage of Samsung’s foldable displays, users can drag and drop files into the notebook while using Split View. Gemini can then transform the collected content into different formats, including meeting summaries, reports, infographics, visual summaries, documents, or audio overviews.
Samsung says the AI experience also becomes more connected when paired with its Galaxy ecosystem. When used alongside the new Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 series, Galaxy AI can provide contextual assistance across devices, from wellness insights to routine-based recommendations.
New AI Privacy Controls
Alongside new AI capabilities, Samsung is also placing greater emphasis on transparency and user control. One UI 9 introduces a new AI Assistant Activity dashboard that allows users to view AI automations carried out on their behalf from a single interface.
Rather than checking multiple applications individually, users can review completed AI actions, see which assistant performed them, and jump directly into the relevant settings for additional information or adjustments. The software also adds enhanced Privacy Alerts, which proactively notify users about potential privacy risks, including unnecessary attempts by apps to access background permissions.
Improved Samsung Knox
Samsung says One UI 9 continues to build on its existing security platform, Samsung Knox, which protects Galaxy devices from the hardware level upwards. For on-device AI, Samsung relies on its Personal Data Engine (PDE) to process personalised experiences locally. The company says this data is further protected by Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP), which creates encrypted storage environments for individual apps, while Knox Vault adds a dedicated hardware layer for safeguarding sensitive information.
Users can also manage how AI accesses and processes their personal information through the Advanced Intelligence settings and Personal Data Intelligence controls. These additions complement Samsung’s existing security features, including Auto Blocker, Theft Protection, Private Sharing, and Secure Wi-Fi.
Expected Wider Rollout
For now, One UI 9 is exclusive to Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip8, with the software shipping pre-installed on all three devices. Samsung notes that several AI experiences are also designed specifically for the foldable form factor, including side-by-side interactions with Now Nudge and enhanced Gemini Notebook workflows that take advantage of larger displays and Split View multitasking. As such, some features will remain exclusive to Samsung’s foldables even after One UI 9 reaches other Galaxy devices.
That said, Samsung has yet to announce when the stable update will begin rolling out to existing Galaxy smartphones and tablets. However, the company has already opened its One UI 9 Beta programme for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra in selected markets, giving owners of its latest flagship phones early access to the Android 17-based software.
As for the wider rollout, Samsung has not confirmed an official roadmap beyond its latest foldables. Based on Samsung’s previous update patterns and industry reports, the aforementioned Galaxy S26 series is expected to be among the first existing devices to receive the stable One UI 9 update, followed by the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S24 lineups. The rollout is then anticipated to gradually expand to eligible Galaxy Z foldables, Galaxy Tab tablets, and selected Galaxy A-series smartphones over the following months.
(Source: Samsung Malaysia press release)
