What One UI 8.5 Changes for Galaxy A and M Cameras
One UI 8.5 is Samsung’s latest software update that extends advanced, flagship-style camera controls to mid-range Galaxy A and M-series phones and tablets, giving everyday users more direct influence over image processing, lens behavior, and video quality than previous versions of One UI allowed. Instead of limiting powerful tools to Galaxy S and other top-tier models, Samsung now lets mid-range owners tune key parameters such as autofocus speed, shutter behavior, and HDR processing. These Galaxy A camera controls arrive through the Samsung Camera Assistant module, which plugs into the default Camera app via Good Lock or the Galaxy Store. From a strategy perspective, One UI 8.5 marks a shift away from using camera software exclusives as a primary reason to buy a flagship and toward feature parity across the broader Galaxy ecosystem.
Camera Assistant: Flagship Tricks for Mid-Range Phone Cameras
Camera Assistant is Samsung’s advanced customization layer that sits on top of the stock Camera app and exposes fine-grained controls that were once hidden from most users. According to SamMobile, the app lets people “enable or disable automatic lens switching, adjust picture softening levels, add extra zoom shortcuts, and prioritize focus accuracy over capture speed.” Android Authority notes that users can also control shutter speed, toggle Auto HDR, enable HDR10+ video recording, and decide how many frames the timer captures. For owners of mid-range phone cameras, this means they are no longer stuck with factory defaults that may favor heavy smoothing or aggressive sharpening. Instead, they can tune the camera for fast social snapshots, sharper low-light photos, or more natural-looking video, depending on their priorities and shooting style.
New Devices Joining the Camera Assistant Lineup
With the rollout of One UI 8.5 features, Samsung is widening Camera Assistant support to a long list of phones and tablets beyond its flagship range. SamMobile reports that 19 additional Galaxy devices are being added, including mid-range models like the Galaxy A34, A35, A36, M34, M35, and M36, alongside premium tablets such as the Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra, Tab S9 family (including FE and FE+), and the Tab S10 series plus its FE variants. Android Authority adds that the Galaxy A37 and Galaxy M36 also join the roster. This expansion means that the same Camera Assistant toolset now spans key Galaxy A and M lines as well as the Tab S8, Tab S9, Tab S10, and Tab S11 tablet families, significantly broadening the audience for advanced camera controls on non-flagship hardware.
Democratizing Pro Controls While Managing Hardware Limits
By standardizing Camera Assistant access across more Galaxy A and M devices, Samsung is reshaping how it differentiates its lineup. Mid-range users gain many of the same knobs and sliders that made Galaxy S cameras appealing to enthusiasts, shrinking the functional gap between price tiers. This democratization supports buyers who care about camera tuning but do not want a top-end phone. However, Samsung still draws a line where hardware constraints apply. Android Authority notes that “not every supported device will get every Camera Assistant feature,” since some advanced processing and high-end sensors remain tied to flagships. In practice, this means software parity is improving, but the finest low-light performance, highest-quality zoom, or certain video modes may continue to favor premium models, preserving an incentive to upgrade without locking out budget-conscious users from meaningful control.