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Owners of the beloved Samsung Galaxy A54 and A55 phones just got a major hint about One UI 8.5

Two of the company's best-selling phones are about to join the club.

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By Johanna Romero

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 6:03 PM

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Samsung Galaxy A Series

Samsung Galaxy A54 | Image by PhoneArena

Samsung's One UI 8.5 beta program keeps expanding, and now two of the company's most beloved mid-range phones look like they could be next in line.

The Galaxy A54 and A55 could be joining the beta soon

Samsung has quietly set up One UI 8.5 Beta Program discussion boards for both the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A55 on its official community forums in India. Leaker Tarun Vats spotted the boards and shared a screenshot on X, and while there's no formal announcement yet, this is usually the last step before a beta goes live for a device.

This follows Samsung opening the One UI 8.5 beta to the Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A36 (One UI 8.5 beta is now available on your Galaxy S23 and – for the first time – on a Galaxy A series phone), which were the first Galaxy A series phones to ever join a Samsung beta. If the A54 and A55 follow suit, One UI 8.5 would become the most widely available Samsung beta ever.

Good news for Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A54 users

The One UI 8.5 beta community page is now live in India—something exciting is on the horizon!

Who's hyped for the beta?

Drop a repost if you are! pic.twitter.com/sU0jmqCCew
— Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) April 15, 2026

Why mid-range Galaxy owners should pay attention

Samsung historically kept its beta programs reserved for flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Z series phones, so if you had a mid-ranger, you were stuck waiting for the stable release and crossing your fingers nothing broke when it arrived.

That never sat right with me. Mid-range devices account for the bulk of Samsung's phone sales, yet those users always had to wait until Samsung felt like pushing the update their way. Welcoming these phones into the beta fold is a meaningful change, and one that's long overdue.

Google has operated this way with Pixel phones for a while, where even the A-series models get beta access alongside the Pro lineup.

How do you feel about running beta software on a mid-range phone?

One thing to keep in mind

There is a trade-off, however. These beta boards showing up also suggests the stable One UI 8.5 release for the A54 and A55 is probably at least a month out.

It's also unclear whether the Galaxy A56 (will join the beta, which feels like a strange exclusion if that's the case.

Every mid-range phone deserves beta access

I genuinely believe this is where every Android manufacturer should be heading. Someone using a Galaxy A54 or A55 every day cares about new features just as much as someone carrying a Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung still has ground to make up compared to how Google runs betas across its Pixel lineup, but this kind of move is encouraging. If you're on one of these phones, keep checking the Samsung Members app, because your invitation might show up sooner than you think.

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Johanna 'Jojo the Techie' is a skilled mobile technology expert with over 15 years of hands-on experience, specializing in the Google ecosystem and Pixel devices. Known for her user-friendly approach, she leverages her vast tech support background to provide accessible and insightful coverage on latest technology trends. As a recognized thought leader and former member of #TeamPixel, Johanna ensures she stays at the forefront of Google services and products, making her a reliable source for all things Pixel and ChromeOS.

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