Samsung halts One UI 3.0 beta testing for select handsets after reports of battery drain

Samsung has postponed the roll-out of One UI 3.0 beta for more than half a dozen 2020 and 2019 models, reports Sammobile. The unprecedented halt comes in the wake of due to some ‘alarming technical issues’.

According to the report, the beta update is draining the battery of the affected devices. Some Samsung Galaxy Note 10 users who participated in the beta trial had first reported about facing issues with the software. They also complained about facing app crashes and minor S Pen inconsistencies. The report further says that the reported problems occur in phones beyond Galaxy Note 10 series.

The spate of issues has forced Samsung to indefinitely halt the testing programme. Apart from Note 10, Samsung has paused the update for Galaxy S10 lineup, Galaxy Note 10-series devices, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Z Fold 2.

In case you did not know, One UI 3.0 is Samsung’s upcoming custom OS, which is based on Google’s Android 11. Before the roll-out of a stable version, Samsung has been running a beta test with select users. The company began testing the public beta in the US and planned to roll-out the same in other markets such as China, Germany, India, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Samsung’s One UI 3.0 is said to come with a variety of new features and improvements. A recent official post from Samsung revealed the new software update will come with a redesigned Quick Panel, which will make it easier for users to switch back and forth between music and videos. It will also have an improved notification panel for easier access to key features even when the phone is locked. The updated version will also give a better view of messages from multiple applications.

The update is also said to bring improvements to the company’s foldable phones lineup. For instance, it will have an updated multi-window. Dual Preview and Rear Cam Selfie will be available on the Galaxy Fold when One UI 3.0 is released, though the feature is already available on the Fold 2.

That said, beta versions generally have multiple bugs and may affect the performance of a device. A critical bug that may over-throttle speed or drain the battery life needs a serious looking before the software is rolled out to more users.