Although Apple has recently been trying to minimize the number of events, presenting up to half of the new gadgets quietly, Samsung has a different rule. According to Koreans, the more presentations, the better.
At the same time, it does not matter at all what will be presented on them – a prototype of a smart speaker, a non-existent smartphone, or a fresh update of the operating system. Today Samsung introduced firmware One UI 2.0, built based on Android 10. We understand what has changed in the update.
One UI 2.0 is the name of the new Samsung firmware, which is based on Android 10
Since the Samsung brand shell received the most significant update a year ago, – because of this it was renamed to One UI – obviously, it was not necessary to expect that something as grandiose in terms of changes would happen this year. The Koreans thought the same thing and therefore limited themselves to improving the existing functions and interface elements. Although, of course, it would be logical if the fresh update was called not One UI 2.0, but Two UI. Don’t you think so?
What’s New in One UI 2.0
The first thing that designers who drew the One UI 2.0 interface took care of was the idea of increasing free space. Therefore, it was decided to make many elements of the firmware more compact and unobtrusive. For example, now the notification of an incoming call appears in a compact window that does not overlap the screen image allowing you to continue to perform the current action, and not interrupt it, even if you are not going to pick up the phone. The volume control window was also changed similarly, which is why the interface began to look more concise.
In the original version of One UI, designers changed the layout of the interface so that it was convenient to use on smartphones with elongated screens. To do this, it was divided into visual and contact parts. The first was placed at the top, and the second below – right under the fingers. However, in One UI 2.0, developers further improved their firmware by moving the controls even lower. Therefore, now in the One UI, there are practically no contact components left for which you need to reach up.
Night theme for Samsung
This is a special high-contrast mode – for users with visual impairments
Special mention deserves a night theme. It allows you to translate the interface elements into dark shades, thereby reducing eye strain when used in low light conditions, and at the same time energy consumption. True, it will be possible to notice a decrease in battery consumption only on smartphones with AMOLED screens. This is because they consist of separate LEDs that turn on independently of each other, and are turned off completely to display black. Thanks to this feature, a night theme can increase the autonomy of a smartphone by 20-30%.
Since inclusive technologies have been gaining special popularity recently, Samsung decided not to stand aside and added a mode for visually impaired users in One UI 2.0 in addition to the night theme. It increases the contrast of OS elements, making them more visible against the general background. Thus, it turns out that it will be easier for people with visual impairments to perceive information and interact with the interface. And for users with hearing problems, the developers have provided a transcription function that translates audio and video content into text.
When will Android 10 come out for the Galaxy S10
Samsung is already testing a test version of One UI 2.0 among users of the Galaxy S10. This means that the release will take place within the next couple of months. In any case, it usually takes Koreans two to three months to test the update, after which it is released for owners of the flagship smartphones of the current generation. But since the current beta build has caused a lot of problems for testers, the release of One UI 2.0 may be postponed for some time to fix it.