Samsung’s One UI 8.5 rollout has now reached the bottom of its smartphone lineup. The update launched alongside the Galaxy S26 series in March and brought new AI tools to the Galaxy S25 series in May, and is now rolling out to some of the cheapest phones in Samsung’s roster.If you own a budget Galaxy phone and have been waiting for the update, now is the time to check.
Read on for more and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for instant smartphone deal alerts.
Samsung’s Most Affordable Galaxy Phones Get One UI 8.5
Samsung started rolling out One UI 8.5 to the Galaxy A06 5G this week, one of the company’s most affordable 5G phones, in India. The Galaxy M17, M16, M06, F06, A16 and M35 are also receiving the update in Korea and India this week according to SammyFans, making this one of the broadest single-day expansions of the One UI 8.5 rollout since it began last month.
These are genuinely budget devices. The Galaxy A06 5G retails for well under £200 in the UK and under $200 in the US. The Galaxy M-series phones sit in a similar price bracket. Getting Samsung’s latest software on devices at this price point is not something every Android manufacturer can claim.
To check if One UI 8.5 is available on your device, go to Settings then Software Update then Download and Install.
What Samsung’s One UI 8.5 Brings To Budget Galaxy Phones
Depending on your device, the update brings a refreshed interface with floating elements and transparent effects, a more customisable Quick Panel, new Camera filters and Direct Voicemail. Some devices will also receive an upgraded Bixby powered by Perplexity AI, read more about that here.
Budget Galaxy phones will also receive AirDrop compatibility through Quick Share, which now allows direct file transfers between Samsung and Apple devices without needing a separate app, according to Samsung.
It is worth being clear about what budget phones won’t get. The Galaxy S26 AI tools that came to the S24 and S25 ranges, including Audio Eraser, Creative Studio, Call Screening and the updated Photo Assist, are not part of this rollout for M-series and entry-level A-series devices. The premium AI tier remains tied to more powerful hardware.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for instant Samsung deal alerts.