One UI 9 Is Smooth, but Galaxy AI Still Lags Pixel Software, Android Authority Says
Android Authority says One UI 9 is smooth, but Galaxy AI features like Now Brief and Now Nudge still lag Pixel software.
The article, based on use of a Galaxy S26 Plus running One UI 9 on Android 17, said the update has been a smooth experience and that Samsung has been reliable with patches. It contrasted that with Samsung's older TouchWiz software, which the reviewer described as laggy, unintuitive and rarely updated, and said One UI changed the company's software reputation. Quarterly security patches on flagship phones would be unacceptable in 2026, the article said, but that was once normal for Samsung devices.
Even so, the article said Samsung's pitch for Galaxy AI still leaves the reviewer unconvinced. It said Now Brief and Now Nudge have not lived up to their potential, while Google's Pixel software does a better job of making AI feel like a natural part of the experience. If Samsung wants software and Galaxy AI to be reasons to choose a Galaxy phone over another device, the article said, it still has work to do.
The reviewer said Now Brief has repeatedly disappointed. After curating Samsung News with favorite topics, the article said, Now Brief served a random story about a murder or another crime somewhere in the country a couple of days later. The article said the same thing has happened for more than two years. It acknowledged hearing that some people have had more success, with Now Brief pulling in some health data and handling appointments decently, but said the feature feels nothing like the generative AI assistant promised at launch.
Now Nudge drew similar criticism. The article said the idea and potential are appealing, but triggering contextual cues is inconsistent and the feature does not feel like the assistive AI system layer Samsung promises. It compared the shortcomings to Google's Magic Cue and said Samsung clearly has work to do if it wants to convince the reviewer that Galaxy AI is a reason to buy its phones.
The article also evaluated One UI 9's AI photo and video editing. It called My FanCam genuinely interesting, saying the feature takes existing video and reframes the action around a specific person, which could be useful for content creators or for capturing a child in a school play. But the reviewer said natural-language generative photo editing is less clean on One UI 9 than on Pixel software, often requires an extra step and does not handle multiple edits at once as well as a Pixel 11 Pro.
The article said Google has done a better job making Gemini Intelligence feel like an important part of the user experience. It noted the close relationship between Google and Samsung on AI crossover, saying a Pixel device is unlikely to have an AI feature for considerably longer than a Galaxy device, but that does not mean implementations will always be intuitive on both.
Despite the criticism, the article said One UI 9 still offers plenty for Samsung fans. It praised extra customization options in the Quick Panel, saying they make it easier to reach needed toggles, and called the software rock solid. After extensive use of iOS 27, Google's Material 3 Expressive design and One UI 9 over recent months, the reviewer said Samsung delivered the most consistent performance. The article also said One UI 9 is excellent for foldable users and that multitasking on a Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a pleasure, with genuine improvements from Samsung.
The reviewer concluded that the higher expectations come because Samsung has set them. The article said the reviewer may not buy Samsung's Galaxy AI sales pitch but does not hate the One UI 9 experience.