Samsung Begins Internal Android 16-Based One UI 8 Testing for Galaxy M15 – Rollout Imminent?

Samsung Starts Internal Android 16 (One UI 8) Testing for Galaxy M15: Here’s Everything We Know

Samsung is accelerating its Android 16-based One UI 8 development cycle — and this time, it has reached the budget segment. The Samsung Galaxy M15, a popular entry-level 5G smartphone, is now undergoing internal testing for the Android 16-based One UI 8 firmware, well ahead of its expected schedule.

Galaxy M15 internal One UI 8 test begins with Android 16 base – Check supported regions

This new development was first spotted by reliable source @Koram_Akhilesh on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the firmware testing is currently live in multiple key regions, including India, Europe, Brazil, and Mexico. These findings are particularly surprising given that the M15 is generally positioned toward the end of Samsung’s software update roadmap.

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✅ Galaxy M15 Android 16 (One UI 8) Test Builds Spotted

Samsung appears to be testing two distinct firmware builds based on the regions involved:

• Asia and Europe: M156BXXU6CYG1

• Brazil and Mexico: M156BXXU6CYG3

Both builds carry the ‘CYG’ tag in the build number, suggesting a July 2025 compilation, aligning with Samsung’s roadmap for One UI 8 internal preparation.

While this doesn’t confirm an immediate public beta or stable release, it is a strong indicator that Samsung is prepping One UI 8 deployment for its budget lineup sooner than expected.

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📅 One UI 8 Official Announcement: What Did Samsung Say?

On July 9, 2025, Samsung officially unveiled One UI 8, which is based on Android 16. During the announcement, the company outlined key visual and performance improvements but refrained from announcing a fixed release schedule for older devices like the Galaxy M15.

However, Samsung did confirm that One UI 8 will first roll out with the new foldables — Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 — starting July 25. Other eligible devices would follow in a staged rollout pattern, prioritizing flagship and midrange models before reaching entry-level phones.

The Galaxy M15’s presence in the internal testing cycle already in July suggests that Samsung is aiming to minimize the delay even for budget users.

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📱 A Closer Look at Galaxy M15’s Software Status

The Samsung Galaxy M15 launched earlier in 2024 as part of Samsung’s budget-friendly M-series. Running Android 14 with One UI 6.1 out of the box, the phone is eligible for at least two major OS upgrades, and Android 16 (One UI 8) is part of that promise.

Despite its modest hardware, the M15 benefits from Samsung’s broader software strategy that now aims to unify features across different tiers, albeit with a few exclusions.

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🚫 No Galaxy AI for M15 Users — Here’s Why

While One UI 8 introduces a suite of AI-powered tools, including AI-based summarization, image editing, transcriptions, and smart replies, these perks remain exclusive to Samsung’s higher-end Galaxy S and Z series.

The Galaxy M15, being a budget device with entry-level SoC and limited RAM/processing capabilities, won’t receive the AI bundle due to hardware incompatibility.

That said, it will still gain user experience improvements, UI consistency, and stability enhancements, which are equally important for day-to-day usability.

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🔧 One UI 8 Features That Will Likely Come to Galaxy M15

While Galaxy M15 may not enjoy flagship perks, it will still benefit from several core upgrades within One UI 8. Here are the top improvements likely heading to the M15 with the Android 16 update:

1. Redesigned Quick Panel with Outlined Tiles

One UI 8 revamps the Quick Settings panel with visually separated icons, improving ease of navigation and quick accessibility. The use of outlines around toggles brings better focus and usability for users.

2. Back Swipe Preview Gesture

A new navigation gesture feature allows users to preview the previous screen while swiping back, preventing accidental exits and making multitasking more fluid.

3. Smarter Reminders with Travel Options

Samsung has enhanced its Reminders app by introducing travel-specific reminders, such as boarding time alerts, hotel check-in reminders, and calendar integrations.

4. Improved App Launch Speeds

Thanks to optimization across Samsung system apps, even entry-level phones like the M15 will experience faster app loading and reduced animation lag.

5. Enhanced Privacy Controls

With Android 16, users will gain access to better app permission management, background activity indicators, and improved clipboard privacy.

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🌎 Rollout Regions for Internal Testing

Samsung is testing One UI 8 for the Galaxy M15 in the following key global regions:

• India – One of Samsung’s largest user bases for M series devices.

• Europe – Especially emerging markets where Galaxy M devices are popular.

• Brazil and Mexico – Growing M series adoption in Latin America makes these regions vital for early testing.

This strategy indicates a broad-based initial rollout plan once the firmware reaches stable status.

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🔄 Timeline: When Will Galaxy M15 Receive One UI 8?

While there’s no official date, internal testing activity allows us to estimate the rollout schedule. Here's a tentative timeline based on past patterns:

If no critical bugs arise during testing, Galaxy M15 may begin receiving the stable One UI 8 update by late October or early November 2025.

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🔄 Samsung Updates Its Ecosystem Before One UI 8 Launch

Before releasing any new major OS update, Samsung ensures that its ecosystem of apps and services is fully optimized. This includes updating:

• Samsung Keyboard

• Samsung Internet

• Gallery

• Good Lock Modules

• SmartThings

• Reminder & Calendar apps

These pre-rollout optimizations help ensure fewer bugs and seamless user transition to the new version.

Samsung has already started releasing One UI 8-compatible versions of key system apps, meaning the groundwork is nearly complete.

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💬 What This Means for Galaxy M15 Users

For Galaxy M15 users, the One UI 8 update — even without Galaxy AI — represents a significant evolution in:

• UI polish and app responsiveness

• Smarter reminder capabilities

• Better gesture support

• Improved privacy and security

And most importantly, it brings flagship-like design consistency even to Samsung’s budget smartphones, aligning the user experience across its portfolio.

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⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind

While the One UI 8 update will eventually land on the M15, users should know:

• No AI features due to hardware limitations

• Samsung may delay rollout in some regions based on testing results

• Carrier-locked models may receive updates later than unlocked versions

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📌 Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy M15 may be a budget smartphone, but the initiation of internal Android 16-based One UI 8 testing in July marks a big step toward Samsung’s ambition to offer cohesive software experiences across price segments.

Even without Galaxy AI, One UI 8 brings meaningful improvements that will refine how users interact with their M15 — from faster performance and cleaner design to smarter notifications and gesture navigation.

If you’re using a Galaxy M15, you can now be excited — the One UI 8 experience is coming your way, and sooner than expected.

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