One UI 8 tipped to bring a major Galaxy AI upgrade — plus quality of life improvements to Galaxy S26
The post in question comes from Galaxy Techie, who posted on X about a new Galaxy AI feature called Voice Captioning. Like Live Captions, this feature will convert speech from calls, videos and live conversations into text.
However, Voice Captioning separates itself is by being able to translate and summarize the captions in real time.
Currently, Samsung's version of Live Captioning will only transcribe voices into the language they are spoken in. Meanwhile, if you have a Pixel phone like the Pixel 9 Pro, you can enable a Live Translate feature, which quickly converts captions into another chosen language in real time. The addition of this feature on Samsung phones would undoubtedly be a lifesaver for holiday goers with the best Samsung phones.
Unfortunately, this feature is reportedly only officially available in China, and there's no indication of when it could come to other markets. However, you can download the APK onto your device if it's running One UI 7 or One UI 8. A Google Drive link for the APK is available in Galaxy Techie's X thread.
Once it's installed, you only need to add the Voice Captioning shortcut to your phone's quick settings panel and allow all of the necessary permissions.
Before you download the file, however, there are a couple of things to note. Firstly, as reported by Android Authority, the APK version of the feature is far from stable and repeatedly crashes. On top of that, Reddit threads indicate that the file doesn't always work with the One UI 8 beta.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
There's also the inherent risk of sideloading apps on Android phones. So proceed with installing the APK at your own risk. We would also always caution anyone when downloading an online file to make sure their phone is secure.
Make sure you have one of the best antivirus apps to keep your data safe. The best VPNs are also worth having, even if they won't protect you from any software you willingly install.
It isn't just One UI 8 features that could make life easier, as another rumor has revealed a big quality-of-life improvement for the Galaxy S26. According to a recent report from ET News, several industry sources have claimed that Samsung is planning to add a new NFC antenna to the top of the Galaxy S26.
Currently, Samsung phones only have a single NFC coil, which is placed just below the camera module. However, the placement can vary slightly, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra's coil closer to the middle of the phone, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra has it sit slightly higher. This can make it annoying to use the phones to pay, usually leading to having to hold them at odd angles.
This single placement is odd, as other Android devices have multiple coil placements. All while iPhones only need you to place the top half of the phone on the scanner.
Supposedly, part of the problem Samsung had was that Apple holds several patents related to NFC payments, forcing Samsung to find new solutions.
It should be noted that there are indications that Samsung hasn't finalized the overall design of the Galaxy S26 yet, so it is possible that the company could scrap the new coil placement.
We'll have to wait for Samsung to officially announce the device to see what changes are coming. While we don't have a set release date yet, Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked events usually occur at the start of the year, with wider phone releases happening around two weeks later.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
5 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
I biked 12 miles with the Apple Watch 10 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and there's a clear winner
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best smartwatch for iPhone users in 2025, and also one of my favorite smartwatches ever. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is similarly one of the best smartwatches for Android, especially if you're after useful Gemini AI features. But which one is the best for biking? To find out, I biked 12 miles wearing the Apple Watch Series 10 on my left wrist and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic on my right wrist to determine which of these two popular smartwatches is the more competent fitness tracker. As a control, I ran Strava on my handlebar-mounted iPhone 12 Mini. I also set a course for a familiar route, one I've recorded with Strava multiple times prior. Each smartwatch is packed to the gills with fitness tracking and wellness monitoring tech, including built-in GPS, altimeters, heart rate sensors, body temp sensors, and more. You also get a wide variety of fitness tracking modes. In fact, either can autodetect basic workouts like walks, runs, swims, and bike rides without user input. However, for this test, I manually started the tracking app on both to ensure the best results possible. So, which smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, proved to be more accurate when it comes to tracking a roughly 12-mile bike ride through a mix of forested and urban areas? Read on. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The Galaxy Watch 8 is the world's only wearable device with the brilliant Gemini AI voice assistant app built right in. In fact, you can customize a button to open it with ease. The Classic model also features a nifty rotating bezel for navigation. You additionally get best-in-class sleep tracking insight and loads of fitness and wellness tools. Apple's newest device is the brand's thinnest and lightest, while boasting the largest display to date. Sleek and comfortable on the wrist, the Series 10 is a supremely well-rounded smartwatch with more wellness monitoring, fitness tracking, smart, and safety features than you'll know what to do with. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 are fairly evenly matched spec-wise across the board. They each represent the non-tough-built, i.e., non-Ultra, flagship models in either brand's respective lineups. While the Apple Watch Series 10 comes in two sizes (42mm and 46mm), the Galaxy Watch 8 comes in three: 41mm, 44mm, and the 46mm "Classic" edition with rotating bezel. For this test, I used the larger Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Comfort-wise, the Series 10 felt a lot better on my wrist throughout my ride than the larger/heavier Samsung. The Galaxy Watch 8's larger case size does allow for a multi-band GPS antenna, compared to a single-band antenna in the Series 10. With my bike route winding through a mix of heavily wooded and densely urban portions of Seattle, Washington, I fully expected the Samsung watch to slightly outperform the Apple Watch regarding distance and elevation tracking data. However, the previous time I pitted the Apple Watch 10 vs the Galaxy Watch 8 in a 5,000-step walk test, the Apple Watch came out on top despite its single-band GPS. Did Apple have a repeat upset win here? Check the results for yourself below. Apple Watch Series 10 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Strava Distance 11.66 miles 11.73 miles 11.79 miles Elevation gain 735 feet 639 feet 665 feet Average speed (moving) 11.3 mph 12.3 mph 12.2 mph Max speed 20.5 mph 23.8 mph 25.4 mph Average heart rate 165 bpm 166 bpm n/a Max heart rate 178 bpm 180 bpm n/a Calories burned 652 calories 621 calories n/a Battery drain 16% 10% n/a According to Strava, during my one-hour bike ride, I covered nearly twelve miles in distance and gained 660+ feet in elevation. My average moving speed was around 12.2 mph, and my fastest speed was a little over 25 mph. Across the board, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic churned out nearly the same stats as Strava. Sure, the device likely undercounted my total elevation gain by as much as 26 feet, but that's better than overcounting by as much as 70 feet, as the Apple Watch appears to have done. While Apple's total distance data is close enough, both the average speed and max speed appear quite low. As noted above, having recorded this route numerous times prior, I've come to expect a max speed of right around 25 mph and an average speed somewhere between 12 and 15 mph. (Note: Neither smartwatch was piggybacking off a smartphone's location data for this test; I didn't even bring a Samsung phone with me and disabled the ability in the Watch app on my iPhone.) Moving on, heart rate and calories data match up nicely between the Apple Watch and Samsung, something that's oh-so heart-warming to see. However, the Apple Watch Series 10 used a bit more battery to track my excursion compared to the Galaxy Watch 8. Interestingly, in my previous test between these two, it was the Samsung that exhausted more battery. Cupertino may've taken the crown in the first showdown between these two fitness-tracking wearables, but in this bout, it's Mountain View coming out on top with the more accurate workout tracking data. That said, having extensively tested both of these devices, either is a great choice to help you keep tabs on your workout journey. We may be splitting hairs with the results here, but I'd trust either to accurately track my progress over time. In fact, the Galaxy Watch 8's new Running Coach feature and Apple's new Workout Buddy tool both promise personalized, real-time AI coaching. Stay tuned for more in-depth reporting on both, along with a deep dive comparison of these two watches. Which smartwatches or fitness trackers should I test next in a head-to-head competition? And what workout should I do? Let me know in the comments below.
Android Authority
5 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Samsung's new foldable display tech could make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 its sleekest yet
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung Display has introduced a new foldable display brand called MONTFLEX. The branding promises thinner, more durable, and flatter foldable displays MONTFLEX panels could power next year's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 Samsung's display arm has a new foldable display brand called 'MONTFLEX,' which is essentially the company's way of highlighting its most innovative foldable displays ever. The name 'MONTFLEX' comes from the French word mont, meaning 'mountain,' Which Samsung says symbolizes the peak of innovation in foldable display technology. The company will officially debut the MONTFLEX brand at the Korea Display Industry Exhibition (K-Display 2025) on August 7. While not yet confirmed for any specific device, it's highly likely that MONTFLEX displays could feature in next year's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, offering further upgrades in design and durability. Samsung Display Samsung says each letter of 'MONT' reflects a key strength of its next-gen foldable OLED: M: Mechanically durable, with improved folding reliability Mechanically durable, with improved folding reliability O: Opto-mechanically flat, delivering a vivid screen with minimal crease Opto-mechanically flat, delivering a vivid screen with minimal crease N: Narrow bezels, for a more immersive display Narrow bezels, for a more immersive display T: Thin and lightweight, enhancing portability For users, this could mean smoother folding, a slimmer profile, and a screen that looks and feels more like traditional glass. In the MONTFLEX announcement, Samsung also referenced the Galaxy Z Fold 7's foldable panel, which can endure up to 500,000 folds. Although the company hasn't officially confirmed whether the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Flip 7 use the MONTFLEX branding, the introduction of this new name strongly hints that future devices, likely the Fold 8 and Flip 8, will use it. Foldables have come a long way since the original Galaxy Fold. Samsung's early models were fragile, with visible creasing and durability concerns. But today, Samsung is claiming half a million folds without failure, and someone out there is even manually testing it fold by fold. Follow
Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Digital Trends
The Z Fold 7 beat this brutal bend test, but how did the Flip fare?
When Zack Nelson of YouTube's JerryRigEverything put Samsung's new Z Fold 7 through his torturous durability test, the handset actually came out pretty well. Particularly impressive was how it managed to remain intact during the bend test in which Nelson used his bare hands to flex the Fold 7 against the hinge. Nelson has snapped lesser handsets clean in two before, and with a mere hinge holding the Z Fold 7 together, it seemed like a dead cert that it'd cave in under the pressure being forced upon it. But Samsung managed to design it in a way that ensures the phone's structural integrity, even in extreme situations like this. A week after subjecting the Z Fold 7 to his durability test, it was the Z Flip 7's turn to face the tools of Nelson's trade, which besides his own hands include scrapers, cutters, a lighter, and a pile of grit. Like the Z Fold 7, the Z Flip 7 was officially unveiled by Samsung last month. It's more affordable than the Fold and features a clamshell design, while the Fold opens like a book. The Flip's bend test starts at the 7:43 mark, with Nelson applying a great deal of pressure as he flexes the device backwards — a direction in which it definitely does not want to go. Impressively, the handset stays together. Nelson then bends it a second time and hears two cracks, 'signifying something cool might happen … but instead of breaking, we get nothing,' the YouTuber says. It's another win for Samsung, and while Nelson feigns disappointment, he's actually pretty impressed by Samsung's design team and what it's achieved here. Coming soon to the YouTuber's desk of horrors will be the iPhone Air, which Apple is expected to launch in just a couple of months from now. It's set to be Apple's thinnest phone ever, but will it bend or break when put to the test?
