Samsung is preparing a new camera twist for Galaxy phones, but it might not please everyone.
The company’s upcoming One UI 8 update is set to bring not only brighter, more vibrant photos through a new Vivid mode, but also fresh watermark styles that feel straight out of Chinese smartphone brands’ playbooks.
Currently, Samsung’s watermark option is fairly plain – just a line of text showing the device name and timestamp. With One UI 8, however, Galaxy users could soon see two artistic watermark formats that add a white border and technical details like shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. There will even be different layouts for portrait and landscape orientations, making your snaps look more like stylized photography prints.
The twist? Samsung has linked these new watermarks to the Vivid filter. That means if you want the artsy watermark, you’re locked into brighter, punchier colors whether you like it or not. In contrast, brands like Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi let users apply stylish stamps independently of color tuning – often with the added prestige of Leica, Zeiss, or Hasselblad branding.
Leaked images suggest the feature will debut on the upcoming Galaxy S25 and Galaxy Z Fold 7, with possible wider rollout in One UI 8.5 next year. For now, though, it looks like only Samsung’s newest flagships will carry the update.
The move signals Samsung’s intent to compete in the social-ready photo arena. By blending a boost in vibrancy with a decorative watermark, the company is leaning into the growing trend of making smartphone photography not just sharper, but also more shareable. Still, the decision to tie both features together could prove divisive, especially for users who prefer natural colors without an extra frame around their shots.
Bottom line: Samsung is giving Galaxy owners new tools to make their pictures pop – but unless the company loosens its restrictions, you’ll have to accept the vivid colors if you want the stylish watermark.