Samsung provided Galaxy S25 users with One UI 8.5 but omitted the features they desired the most.
Galaxy S25 users are discovering that updates don't always bring new features.
Samsung's stable One UI 8.5 software has begun rolling out to Galaxy S25 series devices after being introduced with the Galaxy S26 lineup in February.
This update introduces a variety of new features, including enhanced Photo Assist, improved Quick Share, Audio Broadcast, Storage Share, and additional security tools. However, several features from the Galaxy S26 that many Galaxy S25 users anticipated are missing, leading to disappointment among users.
What features are Galaxy S25 owners missing?
Discussions on Samsung’s Korean community forum, along with feature lists from users who installed the stable version, indicate that at least nine features are absent. The most significant omissions include Now Nudge and the new 24MP camera mode. Now Nudge is a Galaxy AI function that interprets screen content and suggests quick actions, like adding calendar events, sharing images, or completing contact information. The 24MP camera mode offers a higher-resolution option in Samsung’s Camera Assistant app. Neither feature appears to rely on any exclusive hardware from the Galaxy S26.
Other notable missing features include Notification Highlights, the fingerprint Improve Accuracy option, the Finder shortcut on the home screen, Samsung Browser’s Ask AI, My Files file summaries, 30x-plus remastering, and Horizontal Lock in Super Steady.
Is Samsung intentionally withholding Galaxy S26 features?
Many users on Samsung’s Korean community forums view these omissions as deliberate feature restriction rather than hardware limitations. They argue that the Galaxy S25 series is equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite chips, which should support many of these features. While some users speculate that the newer NPU in the S26 might explain certain restrictions, the majority feel that Samsung is clearly differentiating software capabilities between the two generations.
Although many remain hopeful that these features may be included in the upcoming One UI 9 update, other Galaxy owners are beginning to question the meaning of Samsung's long-term update commitment. The Galaxy S25 Ultra was launched with a promise of seven years of software support, but if essential new features are only available on the latest models, users might wonder what this commitment truly entails. Does it guarantee complete feature updates, or only Android upgrades and security updates?
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Samsung provided Galaxy S25 users with One UI 8.5 but omitted the features they desired the most.
One UI 8.5 is being released for the Galaxy S25 series, introducing new features; however, users are primarily discussing the absence of the Now Nudge and the 24MP camera mode.
