Samsung May Have Delayed One UI 8.5 Beta 4 for a Good Reason

Samsung was expected to drop a new One UI 8.5 beta update for the Galaxy S25 series early this week, but the rollout has been delayed. While the update could still arrive later this week, we do not have any confirmation. Meanwhile, fresh reports suggest the delay could be for a good reason. Samsung seems to be bundling in more meaningful changes for Beta 4, potentially making the wait worthwhile.

One UI 8.5 Beta 4 could bring more changes than initially expected

A few days ago, a reliable Samsung leaker claimed that the company is preparing to roll out One UI 8.5 Beta 4 with the build version ZZAB on Tuesday, January 20. The source accurately predicted the release dates for all three previous beta builds and even leaked changelogs early, so we had a reason to trust them. In fact, they also leaked the Beta 4 changelog, confirming a Bixby update and several bug fixes.

However, Samsung didn’t roll out the new beta update on the said date. The tipster later revealed that the company quietly pulled the ZZAB build from its servers and removed the changelog. Now, the company has uploaded a fresh build with firmware version ZZAD. This build may go beyond what surfaced in the previously leaked changelog, suggesting that Samsung is still fine-tuning the experience.

In addition to the previously mentioned changes, the upcoming beta may introduce Direct Voicemail and upgrade the system kernel to version 6.6.98. Interestingly, this kernel update was included in the ZZAA build Samsung tested internally, but dropped it from the ZZAB build that was supposed to roll out to beta testers. Now, the new ZZAD build integrates it again, so the company must be actively testing changes.

The upgraded kernel should enable smoother system performance, improved stability, and stronger security. Direct Voicemail, meanwhile, should allow Galaxy phones to automatically take messages from callers when users miss a call. We will let you know when Samsung rolls out One UI 8.5 Beta 4 for the Galaxy S25 series.