According to a company press release issued today, Samsung’s take on Android 13, called One UI 5, is ready to enter public beta testing “in the coming weeks.” A more personalized lock screen and new modes to filter out unwanted interruptions based on your activity are among the highlights.
One UI 5’s lock screen customization works similarly to Apple’s: long-press your lock screen to reveal options to customize your wallpaper and clockface. There’s also the option to make wallpaper out of a short video clip. According to Samsung, there are more wallpapers available for your home and lock screens, including new color and graphic options.
Samsung’s Routines feature (which conspicuously lacks the name “Bixby” in front of it) has been expanded to recognize more situations to initiate automation, such as connecting to a mobile hotspot or switching to airplane mode. But there’s also a new feature called “modes.” They are intended to filter out distractions while performing various tasks such as working, sleeping, or exercising. You know, things like Focus modes. Widgets are also updated in One UI 5, with a new smart suggestions widget that provides app and action recommendations based on usage.
Much of this is familiar, but one interesting feature mentioned in Samsung’s release that we are not familiar with is Bixby Text Call, which allows you to answer and communicate with a caller via text. Bixby reads your text to the person who is calling and converts their voice to text. It appears to be a clever way to take a phone call when you are in a noisy environment or require privacy. In any case, the feature is currently available in Korea and will not be available in the United States until early 2023. If it’s good, Apple might be able to replicate Samsung’s work here.
When it becomes available in the coming weeks, Samsung’s One UI 5 will most likely be limited to the Galaxy S22 series, Z Flip 4, and Z Fold 4 before expanding to older flagships and midrange devices.
