Samsung brings One UI 4 interface to Windows laptops

Unlike most Android vendors, PC makers don’t have the freedom to interfere much with the look and feel of the pre-installed version of Windows. That’s the main reason why you won’t see a Windows laptop as customized as Android skins. This may change – at least to some extent – as Samsung is planning to introduce One UI 4 interface to their Windows Galaxy Book laptops.

As announced during this year’s Samsung Developer Conference (SDC), the next step in expanding the partnership between Microsoft and Samsung is crucial. The idea is to keep basic user interface elements in sync between the interface you’ll find on Samsung’s latest Android smartphones and the company’s Windows 11 laptops, so that users can easily switch between them. between the two devices.

The Korean electronics company calls the new design overhaul “One UI Book 4” and it will soon be available on the Galaxy Book Pro, Galaxy Book Pro 360, Galaxy Book Flex2, Galaxy Book Odyssey, and the regular Galaxy Book.

The change will initially be made inside Samsung’s Windows suite of apps like Samsung Notes, Samsung Gallery and Samsung Settings. For example, Gallery will have a redesigned menu bar and dark mode to match Windows 11’s theme settings.

The Notes app, on the other hand, will be enhanced with a host of new icons, menu layouts, and more. Finally, the Settings app will take some design language from the smartphone variant to better accommodate the design changes in the upcoming major release of One UI. Notably, you can also install some of these apps on non-Samsung PCs.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the close partnership between Microsoft and Samsung. The Android version of the Microsoft Office suite is optimized specifically for foldable Galaxy smartphones, while the Windows Your Phone app offers a lot of features exclusive to Samsung’s high-end smartphones.

Reference: XDA Developers