Samsung has taken an important step to deliver faster software updates for Galaxy devices. By moving to a new development model, the company can accelerate the development of One UI.
Faster updates at Samsung
In the past, both Google and Samsung worked with separate ways of working for each new Android version. Developers added features to such a so-called branch and later merged them with the main code. That process often caused complex problems, which took a lot of time and delayed updates. Unfinished features also caused extra work, as they had to be manually restored to the main branch.
With the new Google Trunk Stable model, all development takes place on a single stable code base. New features are added, but remain hidden behind so-called feature flags until they are completely finished. This ensures the code is always stable and less time-consuming merges need to take place. Google was able to release Android 16 back in June thanks to this model, which was earlier than usual, and Samsung is now also benefiting from this approach.
Samsung this month launched the Z Fold and Z Flip models with One UI 8, based on Android 16, just a month after the public release of the operating system. According to Sally Hyesoon Jeong, executive vice president at Samsung, this quick turnaround time is due to its move to the trunk model. The company worked with Google to set up this process.
Although Google does not require manufacturers to use this method, Samsung saw clear advantages. By staying closer to Android's main development, Samsung can test and roll out new versions faster. The goal is to match Google's release schedule and make updates available to users faster.
