Google’s Android 16 is shaping up to challenge Samsung’s One UI 7 with a fresh design called Material 3 Expressive. Spotted in Android 16 Beta 4, these changes promise a more engaging user experience (courtesy of AndroidAuthority).
Samsung has significantly revamped the design and user interface in its One UI 7 update. Leaks suggest One UI 8 will further elevate the overall appearance. Now, Google plans to redefine the stock Android look gradually.
Here’s what to expect.
Quick Settings and Notification Panel
Android’s Quick Settings and Notification Panel remain unified but add resizable tiles, one-click Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles, and a redesigned brightness slider.
Android 16 Material 3 Expressive | Source – Android Authority
A standout feature is the background blur effect. Quick Settings tiles sit over a light blur, while notifications have a stronger blur, creating a frosted glass look in light mode.
Source – Android Authority
Blur Effect
The Pixel Launcher’s app drawer, recents menu, and PIN entry screen now feature blurred backgrounds, replacing solid gray ones. One UI 7 also uses blur effects, but Google’s broader application could give Android 16 an edge.
Source – Android Authority
Beyond the App Drawer, the blur effect will also be expanding to the Recents screen. The card placement won’t change drastically, but the adoption of the background blur effect introduces a cohesive appearance.
Source – Android Authority
The status bar in Material 3 Expressive gets a visual refresh with updated icons for Wi-Fi, mobile data, airplane mode, and battery. Wi-Fi and mobile data icons are now segmented, while 5G and airplane mode icons are bolder.
In addition, the battery icon adds color, showing green when charging and red when low. A new, bolder clock font complements these changes, giving the status bar a modern, vibrant feel that rivals One UI 7’s polish.
Android 16 also replaces Android 15’s thick, pill-shaped volume sliders with thinner ones featuring handles, aligning with Material 3 guidelines.
In addition, Google is adding playful icon shapes for the Pixel Launcher, including “square,” “four-sided cookie,” “seven-sided cookie,” “arch,” and “complex clover.”
These design changes, found in Android 16 Beta 4, hint at a competitive user experience rivalry with One UI 7. While not enabled yet, they could roll out in quarterly updates after the I/O 2025.
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