Samsung’s One UI 5 is coming quickly with some very iOS-like vibes

Samsung’s tackle Android 13, referred to as One UI 5, is able to come out of public beta testing “in the coming weeks,” in keeping with an organization press launch issued right now. Highlights embrace a extra personalised lock display screen and new modes to filter out undesirable disruptions primarily based in your exercise. Sounds an terrible lot like iOS 16, and you realize what? That’s fantastic! These are all nice options on iOS, and Samsung is sensible sufficient to repeat them.

One UI 5’s lock display screen customization works about the identical manner that Apple’s does: long-press your lock display screen, and also you’ll see choices to customise your wallpaper and clockface. There’s an choice to create a wallpaper utilizing a brief video clip, too. Samsung says there are extra wallpapers to select from on your dwelling and lock screens, together with new shade and graphic choices.

Samsung’s Routines function (conspicuously lacking the identify “Bixby” in entrance of it) has been expanded to acknowledge extra conditions to kick-start automations, like connecting to a cellular hotspot or turning on airplane mode. But there’s a brand new function, too, simply referred to as “modes.” They’re designed to filter out distractions for various actions, like working, sleeping, or exercising. You know, like Focus modes. Widgets get an replace in One UI 5, too, with a brand new good strategies widget that provides usage-based app and motion suggestions.

Plenty of this sounds acquainted, however there’s an fascinating function talked about in Samsung’s launch that’s new to me: Bixby Text Call, which lets you reply and talk with a caller by way of textual content. Bixby reads your textual content to the individual calling and, likewise, converts their voice to textual content. It seems like a intelligent technique to take a telephone name while you’re someplace loud or want privateness. Or it would come in useful should you hate speaking to strangers on the telephone with the fireplace of a thousand suns! Just spitballing right here. In any case, the function is accessible in Korea and received’t make it to the US till early 2023. If it’s good, possibly Apple can copy Samsung’s work right here.