There was a time when Android phones had superior hardware to Apple’s iPhone but on the other hand had far inferior software update policies. Thankfully those days are long gone, and now the most popular Android handsets receive close-to monthly feature and security updates.

But the very biggest firms such as Google and Samsung have gone one further, publicising when they are pushing out significant free software updates to Pixel and Galaxy phones that are already out in the wild, rather than bigging up new features exclusive to a new phone that’s launching.

Samsung has done just that, by confirming its latest version of Android 16, called One UI 8.5, is officially available to download for free – with three caveats. Only the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra are currently compatible, and only for owners of those phones in the UK, US, Germany, Korea, India, and Poland.

The final and important thing to note is that this is a beta launch of One UI 8.5, which means it’s an opt-in update program, and you can expect there to be bugs and broken elements in some use cases. That’s because beta software is a version that is not quite ready for full public launch, but is stable enough for select users to try out in order to see how it’s performing.

If you live in one of the included countries and have one of those three S25 phones, you can head to the Samsung Members app (downloadable via the Galaxy Store app) on your device to download the One UI 8.5 beta. Not that the Galaxy S25 Edge and S25 FE are not included in the fun yet.

I downloaded the beta onto a review sample of the S25 Ultra with no issues, though note you have to have a SIM card in the phone for it to work.

Given the Galaxy S26 series is expected to be announced either next month or February, it is possible that this is a direct window into the software those phones will launch with.

It looks as though One UI 8.5 barely changes anything visually, which is to be expected in a ‘point’ update such as this. In a press release, Samsung said the new version “brings enhanced productivity, privacy and performance across the Galaxy ecosystem”, flagging updates to the AI tool Photo Assist and a new feature in Android’s Quick Share that recognises people’s faces in photos and can suggest sending those snaps to those people.

A major focus for One UI 8.5 is device connectivity, with the introduction of Audio Broadcast, which lets you broadcast audio from your phone to other devices using Auracast technology. A step up from Bluetooth, you can use it to broadcast your voice via the phone’s mic to nearby headphones or headsets, which could be used on group tours or events.

Storage Share is designed to break down barriers for file access by showing files from your other Galaxy devices such as tablets and PCs in the My Files app on your phone, plus you’ll even be able to access those files on your Samsung TV.

Samsung also said it has improved security with updates to Theft Protection on the phones, and added Failed Authentication Lock that will lock the screen if someone tries too many times to enter a password, PIN or fingerprint.

The release of a beta usually means the public release for other phones isn’t far off, but you could be waiting a month or two. One UI 8.5 could launch officially with the S26, but it’s also likely to come to the Galaxy S24 and S23 series at least in due course, and also to Galaxy A series phones. A range of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Android tablets should also benefit from the new software at some point in the near future.