One UI 9 could have caught up to Google, but Samsung is still missing one thing

I remember the pain of firing up Samsung’s TouchWiz on my Galaxy phones. The software was laggy, unintuitive, and rarely updated. Quarterly security patches on flagship phones would be unacceptable in 2026, but that was the norm for Samsung devices. That all changed with the introduction of One UI. Samsung flipped the script and became known for reliable software with timely updates.

One UI 9 running Android 17 is undoubtedly another solid software update. It’s been a smooth experience so far on my Galaxy S26 Plus, and Samsung’s been spot-on with patches. But while the company has made great strides in software, its pitch for Galaxy AI still leaves me unconvinced. Features like Now Brief and Now Nudge haven’t lived up to their potential, and Google’s Pixel software does a better job of making AI feel like a natural part of the experience.