The last time I used a Samsung phone was the Galaxy Grand 2—and TouchWiz turned me off from Samsung for years. Since then, I've leaned toward cleaner, minimalist Android experiences. But lately, Samsung has started to catch my attention again.

I had been hearing positive things about One UI 7, and eventually, the YouTube algorithm caught on too. Before long, my feed was filled with videos about the new One UI 8 beta. Out of curiosity, I clicked a few—and surprisingly, I found myself interested.

One UI 7 Planted the Seed

It wasn’t just the beta that grabbed my attention—One UI 7 had already laid the foundation. This update introduced several genuinely useful features, two of which stood out: the Now Bar and Writing Assist tools.

The Now Bar isn't just an aesthetic addition. It organizes real-time activities like timers, music playback, live scores, or ongoing calls into a bar at the bottom of the lock screen.

This design clearly separates passive alerts (displayed above) from active sessions (shown below). You’re not just viewing cluttered notifications—you're quickly engaging with what's important.

And it’s interactive too. Swipe between different active apps—for example, switching from a music player to a running timer—and control them directly from the lock screen. It feels impressively smooth and well thought-out. On my Pixel, I can see a timer preview on the lock screen, but I still have to unlock the device to pause it. Samsung makes this much easier.

Also in One UI 7, the Writing Assist tools are notable. Press and hold any text field, and you’ll get options to reword, summarize, or format the text right there—no need to open another app or switch tabs. It’s a small convenience I never realized I needed, yet now I find myself appreciating how seamlessly Samsung integrates it. For anyone who types or edits often, this quick AI assistance truly saves time.

Then One UI 8 Happened

After the major One UI 7 update, I began watching more videos about the One UI 8 beta. Channels like SamMobile offer solid coverage, and the more I watched, the more I appreciated what Samsung is doing. Just as I was writing this, Android 16 arrived on my Pixel. That gave me a fresh opportunity to compare both systems.

To be honest, the stable Android 16 build is solid, but it doesn’t include many of the features I was excited about. Material 3 Expressive, Google’s bold new design language, isn’t part of this release. The 90:10 split-screen multitasking is also missing, at least for now. There are quality-of-life improvements, but nothing groundbreaking.

Samsung, however, already includes the 90:10 multitasking mode in its One UI 8 beta. This allows one app to remain fully visible while the second shrinks into a narrow strip. It's a significant improvement over the usual 50:50 split, which often hampers usability.

And here’s where it really clicked for me. I use a Pixel 8, which is relatively compact by today’s standards. A 50:50 split feels cramped. But the 90:10 layout makes perfect sense. I could draft notes using nearly the full width of the screen while keeping a reference document just a tap away. By the way, this feature originally appeared as Open Canvas on OnePlus phones.

One UI’s Visual Identity No Longer Feels Overbearing

There are some nice visual enhancements in One UI 8 that give the interface a more dynamic feel—like dynamic wallpapers, new animated clock styles, and subtle system refinements that tie everything together. Visually, it’s quite different from Google’s Material Design or even Nothing’s Dot Matrix style. But I find it appealing.

It feels playful, confident, and—most importantly—not chaotic like TouchWiz used to be.

Pixel Still Feels Like Home

Despite all that, I’m still a Pixel user at heart. I love its simplicity and elegance. Even though Android 16 didn’t wow me, I’m still looking forward to Material 3 Expressive (set to launch later this year). That design direction speaks to me: fluid animations, expressive gestures, bouncy haptics, and vibrant colors. I’ve written an entire piece on why I’m excited about it.

Samsung may currently offer a richer set of features, but Google still delivers the vibe I prefer.

UI and UX matter deeply to me, so the fact that Samsung is even back on my radar is a big deal. If a day ever comes when I can’t go with a Pixel or a Nothing phone, then yes—I’d definitely consider Samsung.

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