One UI 8.5 Feels Like a Visual Downgrade on My Galaxy S25
I updated my base S25 to One UI 8.5 recently, and honestly, I have mixed feelings.
Feature-wise, the update is actually pretty solid. There are useful additions and improvements. But the design changes? Huge disappointment.
The biggest offender for me is the new My Files app design. It genuinely looks like an old Xiaomi/MIUI-style file manager from years ago. The gradients and color blending feel very random and inconsistent with Samsung’s previous clean design language.
The older My Files app looked much cleaner and more premium. Now the UI feels cluttered and visually confused, especially when using the theme-based color palette. Some screens look okay if I disable color theming, but that defeats the whole purpose of Material You and system-wide color matching. If Samsung is adding gradients and colorful elements, they should at least blend properly with the rest of the UI.
Even the Clock app and some other system apps feel inconsistent. Certain pages look modern, while others look unfinished or randomly styled. One UI used to have a very recognizable identity: clean, minimal, polished, and consistent across apps. Now it feels like Samsung is experimenting without a clear direction.
Another thing: is anyone else experiencing lag or stutters after the update?
My S25 is not an old phone, and I’m noticing random sluggishness and frame drops in places where One UI used to feel smooth. It’s not unusable, but it definitely feels less polished than before.
Meanwhile, brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus are improving their visuals and animations every update. Their lock screen customization, transitions, clock styles, and overall UI presentation feel much more modern now.
Ironically, Samsung, the company I expected to lead in software polish, feels like it’s slowly losing its charm.
Paying around ₹75k for a flagship and getting updates that make parts of the UI feel cheaper is frustrating.
Am I the only one feeling this way, or are others also disappointed with the visual direction of One UI 8.5?