Samsung on Thursday unveiled One UI 7, the new version of its custom experience for the company’s Android phones. One UI 7 comes with a lot of new features such as AI writing assistance tools, but the update also brings some design changes – and it’s impossible not to compare them to Apple’s iOS.
Samsung’s One UI 7 vs. iOS 18
As noted by users who have already had access to the first beta of One UI 7, the new interface has a lot of elements that are very similar to the iOS interface, starting with the Lock Screen.
Samsung has introduced a new feature called the “Now Bar”, which shows relevant ongoing activities such as audio recording, media controls, stopwatch and more, all in a pill-shaped interface. Some of these controls can be expanded with just a tap. It’s hard not to compare Now Bar with the iPhone’s Live Activities and Dynamic Island.
Even the media player interface on the Lock Screen looks very similar to the one on iOS, with the controls on a rectangular card at the bottom of the screen and the album artwork in the center.
Top comment by bluedot
In my opinion, Samsung doesn't need a planning team. They just watch Apple's announcement and reflect it in the next update. But the only advantage is that it's convenient.
The native app icons have been updated with gradient backgrounds and more vibrant colors, while Quick Settings now looks a lot like iOS 18’s Control Center.
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Samsung also seems to have taken some inspiration from Apple Intelligence, as One UI 7 introduces new AI-based features for proofreading and changing text. Unsurprisingly, the text tools panel resembles the Writing Tools panel introduced with iOS 18.1.
Of course, companies are always keeping an eye on what their competitors are – and Apple itself has taken a lot of inspiration from Android when it comes to all the customizations added with iOS 18. Still, it’s intriguing to see how similar the interface of One UI 7 and iOS 18 are.
For Samsung phone owners, One UI 7 is currently available as a beta for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. The beta program is also limited to a few regions. The update is expected to be released to the public in the first quarter of 2025. You can read more news about Samsung and Android on our sister site 9to5Google.
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