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There’s not much you can’t do with a smartphone these days, from filming content to banking online from anywhere with just a few taps. But there is always room for improvement, and Samsung Electronics is constantly looking to make the smartphone experience more intuitive to help us do even more. That is why One UI was created.
Introduced in November 2018, One UI improved the usability of smartphones for millions of users. After two years of further evolution, Samsung released One UI 3 in December 2020, building on the design, efficiency, and user experience of the original across various devices. Now Samsung is raising the bar once again with One UI 3.1. As of February 18th, the latest One UI brings updates to support powerful functionality for some existing smartphones.1
So what kind of experience can users enjoy with One UI 3? Samsung Newsroom sat down with the One UI designers to ask them what to expect.
The 4 principles of a user interface
1) Focus on the task at hand
2) Interact naturally
3) Feel comfortable to watch
4) Make things respond
These four principles were established by the designers of One UI to give users the best possible experience.
Jeonggun Choi, Lead UX Designer at Core UX Group, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics
The fourth principle is a completely new principle introduced for One UI 3.1.
“From tablets to flip phones to regular smartphones, the types of devices that people use have diversified and the number of features and functions has also increased,” said UX lead designer Jeonggun Choi. “Following this trend, new principles were needed to provide the best design for our users.” Whether an app runs on the Galaxy S21, Galaxy Tab, or the foldable Galaxy Z series, the user interface is optimized for each device.
When using the Samsung Notes application on smartphones with normal-size screens, for example, users can access the application menu by pressing the navigation button at the top left of the screen. But on the Galaxy Z Fold and Tab series, users can take advantage of the larger screen by having the entire menu always in view, without having to press anything.
As part of the fourth principle, Samsung has also improved the accessibility experience recommending features that complement the some already In use. When someone with poor eyesight or visual weakness has high-contrast sources turned on, for example, One UI suggests other features that improve visibility, such as bold font or dark mode on the screen Recommended for you. A user interface also reduces the hassle of having to sort through multiple menus by allowing users to disable any accessibility. characteristics that are using from a single screen.
“The accessibility features are so diverse that it can often be difficult to use them to their full potential,” said Jeonggun Choi. “The ‘Recommended for you’ feature increases convenience and helps users make better use of features identifying and recommending those that users may need. We have also made it easy to use these features only when necessary by allowing users to turn features on and off while they are in use on a page. “
The Galaxy ecosystem enables seamless connectivity between devices
Another benefit that One UI 3 offers is the ability to seamlessly switch between smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Given the increased use of tablets and laptops driven by a boom in remote learning and working, the new update brings a “connected device experience.” This seamless ecosystem is essential to improve work and study productivity.
“A new feature called” Continue apps on other devices “two It has been added so that users can continue what they were doing on their smartphone, whether it’s browsing a web page or working on a draft in Samsung Notes, on their tablet, ”said UX Lead Designer Min-Young Chang. “Users can also copy text on their smartphone and paste it on their tablet.”
Also, users can connect its Book Cover Keyboard on your tablet and smartphone with wireless keyboard sharing function. the new Auto Switch feature too automatically connects Galaxy Buds to any device that is playing media, so users can seamlessly switch between their smartphones and tablets.
Connected device experiences aren’t just available with mobile devices, they are also available in household appliances such as Televisions Starting with One UI 3, users can use Smart View to enjoy multimedia content from their smartphone on their TV along with camera streaming from their smartphone. This is especially beneficial for users who exercise at home, allowing them to compare their movements with those of their virtual instructor.
“Starting with the One UI 3.1 update, users can send their Google Duo video calls to their TV with just a few clicks,” said Jeonggun Choi. “With an increasing number of people connecting with their family through video calls and holding virtual business meetings, this is an especially useful feature.”
A customizable Galaxy experience to meet your needs
Smartphones are no longer just a tool that empowers users to perform various tasks, they have become a means of self-expression. Perhaps the best example is decorating the Galaxy Z Flip with stickers to create your own unique phone. But there are many ways to create a personalized smartphone experience with the latest updates. “We have implemented a wide range of functions to allow users to use their smartphone as a form of self-expression,” said Jeonggun Choi. “Users can enjoy a personalized Galaxy experience by choosing a video as the screen for incoming and outgoing calls or by changing the wallpaper in the Messages app.”
Before (left) and after (right) views of the quick panel. The design has been simplified and the most used icons have been placed to speed up the search process. Users can add other icons by clicking the ‘See more’ button in the upper right corner.
“We first looked at the use of each feature available in previous models,” said Min-Young Chang. “After ranking the functions according to their popularity, we put the most used functions at the top and hide the least used ones to simplify the panel.”
Save time, even if it’s only 1 second
Min-Young Chang, Lead UX Designer at UX Design 2 Group, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics
Another updated feature available through One UI 3.1 is the integration of the Clock app with Digital Wellbeing’s Bedtime mode.3 After opening the Clock app, users can tap See More, then tap Set Bedtime to set their sleep and wake times. Users no longer have to switch between two apps, making setting a daily sleep schedule easier and faster.
“Users may not be aware of all One UI design updates that have been made, but these enhancements combined help users to recognize and react to various functions in a faster and more direct way. Even if it saved 1 to 2 seconds of user time, I think it would have been worth the effort, ”said Jeonggun Choi. “The One UI designers will continue to create designs that elevate our users’ happiness and satisfaction with Galaxy devices.”
