Samsung Ramps Up One UI 8 Testing, Galaxy A55 Now in the Mix

Samsung’s One UI 8 development engine is running at full speed. While the beta update is only available for the Galaxy S25 series, the company is internally developing and testing the new version on a bunch of devices. New discovery confirms that it has started testing One UI 8 on its premium mid-range star, the Galaxy A55.

Galaxy A55 joins the One UI 8 test bandwagon

The Galaxy A55 5G, identified by model number SM-A556E, recently surfaced on Geekbench (h/t @Alfaturk16) running Android 16 (One UI 8). The benchmark listing revealed respectable early performance scores: 1,150 points in the single-core CPU test and 3,417 points in the multi-core test. Since the software is still in development, these numbers may improve with a more optimized final build.

Launched last year with Android 14-based One UI 6, Samsung recently updated the Galaxy A55 to One UI 7 (based on Android 15). It is now already preparing One UI 8 for the device. The company has made a massive turnaround in its software development after a poor show with One UI 7, which arrived nearly five months later than the expected timeline.

One UI 8, meanwhile, is on track for an early release, at least three months earlier than usual. Samsung has already confirmed that its Android 16 update will debut with the new foldables. The Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and Flip 7 FE are all set to go official on July 9 at the company’s Unpacked event in Brooklyn, New York.

That said, Samsung has yet to specify a timeline for a stable rollout for older devices. A stable One UI 8 build may not be available for other models until sometime in August. If that’s the case, the Galaxy A55 should receive the update by September or October. It will be the phone’s second major OS upgrade, with two more still guaranteed under Samsung’s software policy. Users can expect continued support and meaningful improvements through 2029.