Samsung has been working on an overhaul of its TouchWiz user interface that may hit all its devices as early as August.
According to reports, the user interface is going by the name ‘New Note UX’ and has already been made available to several Galaxy Note 5 users enrolled to Samsung’s Galaxy Beta program in Korea. The new UI is also being tested with new users in China.
The most notable feature of the new UI as can be seen from the below screen grabs is the absence of the application drawer. It can still be toggled on from the settings, though.
Samsung has been toying with the idea of axing the feature on current versions of its mobile software by making it an option under the Galaxy Labs app. While it has not been clear what the end game is, it appears that the company is slowly embracing the idea of an app drawerless interface. Or maybe this will be restricted to Asian markets where such interfaces are popular.
LG, another Korean device maker, has had to offer users an alternative after shipping its latest flagship smartphone, the G5, with an app launcher that lacks an app drawer.
Already, two of the world’s top 6 smartphone vendors and the market leaders in China, Xiaomi and Huawei, provide smartphones with user interfaces not centered on an application drawer.
Even though Google has so far not shown any signs that the upcoming Android N will ditch the app drawer, rumours around Android’s custodian going ahead with such plans refuse to die begging the question will this be the year we say farewell to the app drawer as we know it?
Other notable changes include more rounded icons and an updated settings app.
When testing is complete, it is understood that the new interface won’t just be limited to the Galaxy Note series but that it will also be made available to other Galaxy smartphones like the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge etc.
