Samsung is wasting no time this year. Even though it’s only been a few months since the stable release of One UI 7 (based on Android 15), the company is already deep into beta testing One UI 8, which runs on Android 16. And if all goes according to plan, Samsung is aiming to push out the new update this summer — a bold move, considering major Android updates usually drop in the fall.
While we’ll have to wait and see how users react to the changes in One UI 8, the early beta builds already show promise. Features like an improved Now Bar, smoother animations, and call captions are all part of the package. But one particular upgrade stands out — and it’s one that fans have been waiting on for years.
A Smarter, More Dynamic Lock Screen Clock
One of the most talked-about features coming to One UI 8 is a new lock screen clock that can intelligently reshape itself around objects in your wallpaper. It’s Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Depth Effect, first introduced in iOS 16 back in 2022. That feature layered the clock behind elements of the wallpaper — like a person’s head or a pet — to create a subtle 3D look. Other Android brands followed suit, but Samsung held back.
Now, Samsung’s finally giving fans what they’ve been asking for — with a twist.
Instead of copying Apple’s approach, Samsung is doing things differently. As spotted by trusted leakers like @UniverseIce and @Topraks9plus, the new One UI 8 lock screen clock doesn’t move behind objects. Instead, it uses smart detection to reshape the digits. If part of the time display overlaps with, say, someone’s head in tios 16he photo, only that part of the clock adjusts, shrinking just one digit rather than changing the entire layout. It’s a subtle but clever way to make the clock feel more integrated with the wallpaper.
There’s even a smooth animation that shows how the digits change size as you reposition the clock during customization.