Samsung’s One UI 7 beta arrived last month, and let me tell you—it’s packed with features that are not just flashy but genuinely useful. As someone who loves Android in all its flavors, I can’t help but think: “Google, are you taking notes?”
Pixel UI, Google’s skin on top of Android, is known for being clean, simple, and functional. But let’s face it, sometimes simplicity can feel a little too… basic. Here are the features that I believe Google absolutely needs to copy from One UI 7.
The Now Bar
Samsung’s Now Bar in One UI 7 is their take on Apple’s Dynamic Island, but with a unique twist. Sitting at the bottom center of the lock screen, it’s designed to streamline everyday actions and integrate your most-used apps. You can control music, track workouts, access weather updates, and even get travel reminders like when to leave for the airport or create folders for essential apps.
What sets it apart is its proactive nature—suggesting what you need before you even think about it. For example, at the end of the day, it might highlight moments like photos or fitness stats, making the lock screen more than just a static display.
If Google adopted something similar, they could leverage Gemini to make it even smarter. Imagine a lock screen where Google’s implementation of Now Bar integrates with Nest for live camera feeds, displays commute insights, or offers personalized recommendations like podcasts or reminders—all without unlocking your phone.
Deeper Lock Screen Customization
Samsung has turned the lock screen into a canvas for customization. With One UI 7, you can add animated clocks, choose from multiple widget styles, and even adjust notification placement.
Compare this to Pixel UI’s lock screen, which, while clean, doesn’t let you do much. Google could use the Material You design language to offer a Pixel take on lock screen customization.
Imagine a setup where you could add custom widgets (Android used to let you do that way back in the day), change clock animations, or group notifications for a cleaner look.
Now, this is where Samsung’s One UI 7 really shines: Writing Assist tools. With features like Writing Style, Spelling and Grammar, and Summarize, Samsung has seamlessly integrated AI-powered tools across the system.
The Writing Style feature lets you adjust the tone of your text, Spelling and Grammar checks polish your writing, and Summarize condenses lengthy content into key points. The best part? It works everywhere. Just long-press any text, and a Galaxy AI icon appears alongside options like Select All and Copy, giving you instant access to these tools system-wide.
Now, let’s talk Google. Sure, you can invoke Gemini, ask it to analyze the current screen, and provide prompts. But why go through all that when you could just long-press the text and access these tools directly? Imagine Gemini offering rephrasing, grammar fixes, or summarization right within the context of your task.
Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | Google
It’s not about adding capabilities—it’s about making them faster and more accessible, so you’re not interrupting your workflow for something that could be a single tap away. Google has the tech to make this happen, and it’s time they did.
Why Google Should Adopt These Features
Pixel UI is known for being clean and functional, but simplicity doesn’t have to mean barebones. One UI 7 proves that you can add features while keeping the user experience intuitive and fluid. And let’s not forget: when Google enhances Pixel UI, it often sets the tone for the broader Android ecosystem. These features could trickle down to AOSP (the open-source build of Android), making Android better for everyone.