One UI 8.5 could soon come to the Galaxy S23, but there’s a catch

Samsung appears to be finally giving the Galaxy S23 lineup a significant software update after a few rounds of One UI 8.5 beta builds, but there’s a catch that could make it less exciting.

A new leak from Tarun Vats on X suggests that although Samsung is working on a stable One UI 8.5 update for the Galaxy S23 series, some of the latest Galaxy AI features from the Galaxy S26 series might not be included.

To be clear, features like Call Screening and Creative Studio might not be available. The improved AI Audio Eraser could be missing, too, along with Notification Highlights and Now Nudges. Samsung hasn’t given an official reason, but this isn’t the first time this has happened.

Many new AI features need updated hardware, especially better NPUs (neural processing units) and improved on-device models. While the S23 series is still powerful, it might not meet these requirements, or Samsung could be choosing to keep some features only for newer devices.

Despite that limitation, this update is still worth noting. The Galaxy S23 lineup came out in early 2023, and most phones this age would only be getting basic maintenance updates by now.

Instead, Samsung is working to improve the experience and help older flagship phones feel current for longer. That’s good news if you want to keep your device for a while.

Still, it’s looking more likely that Samsung is intentionally keeping its newest Galaxy AI features away from the S23 lineup. Whether this is due to hardware limits or a business move to boost S26 sales, your S23 might not get the AI-focused upgrade you might have wanted, either way.

That said, this leaked changelog might change. Samsung could still add some of the missing features before the final version is released, but it’s best not to expect it.