As a professional in charge of analyzing each phone that falls into his hands, and passionate about technology and smartphones at a personal level, I have been lucky enough to thoroughly explore the different layers of customization available, based on Android, on the market. This allows me to say, from my most humble opinion, who is the rival to beat in the middle of 2025.
After trying many of them, I can say with confidence that One UIthe layer developed by Samsung, takes the award for best user experience. It is true that it is not perfect, nor is OPPO’s ColorOS, another of my favorite layers, but it is much better than what the competition offers.
The best of One UI
One of the features that I value most in any layer of customization is the ability to adapt the device to my style. Here, One UI takes the lead. Samsung offers a wide variety of options to customize the look of your system: from themes and icon packs to font styles and wallpapers. In One UI it’s super easy to modify app icons, play with theme colors, and use any audio for almost anything.
Another strong point of One UI is the own apps from Samsung. One of my favorites is My Fileswhich allows me to manage all the content on my phone in a simple and organized way. With this app I can find duplicate files, analyze which ones take up more space and even decide what to back up or delete. However, through Galaxy apps you can find endless accessories for your phone.
And speaking of accessories, I can’t forget Samsung DeXthe brand’s exclusive function that allows me to transform my smartphone into a computer and use the terminal from my PC with great ease, something that I frequently use when I need to work outside the home.
I also can’t talk about One UI without mentioning Samsung Knoxyour security suite. This extra layer protects my data and ensures my device is safe from external threats. If you are a user who, like me, is obsessed with privacy, Knox will let you use your smartphone with complete peace of mind.
And I don’t forget two equally important things. The first is that Samsung has taken a step forward with its update policy and now phones that do not belong to the manufacturer’s high-end can enjoy support for more than 6 years. To this we add the new suite Galaxy AIwhich improves the daily experience that, beyond translating languages, transcribing voice notes or identifying what appears on the screen, can predict which apps I need at certain times of the day or even suggest functions that could be useful depending on my activity.
This intelligence is also reflected in the battery management. One UI optimizes power consumption by managing background processes, something I’ve noticed at the end of the day: the battery lasts longer, even when I’ve spent hours watching videos or browsing social networks.
ColorOS isn’t bad either
Although it is clear that One UI is the best customization layer, in my opinion, it would be unfair not to recognize OPPO ColorOS. This layer also has smart features, good optimization, and attractive customization options. However, in my experience, the integration of advanced features like DeX and Galaxy AI puts One UI a step forwardbut since OPPO and OnePlus joined forces, the truth is that Color OS has evolved very well, unlike, unfortunately, OxygenOS.
