[Update] Samsung's OneUI 2.5 might start showing ads on Galaxy smartphones

Update: It looks like Samsung might not implement ads after all. According to an in-depth investigation by SamMobile, it looks like the lock screen image is just a sarcastic concept created to highlight Samsung’s decision to include banner ads on the Samsung weather app. The original image was posted on Samsung Korea forums and the joke was lost in translation. The community forum has seen a huge backlash after Samsung added banner ads to the weather app. The lock screen image was created as a comment on Samsung’s decision to include ads in first-party apps.

It looks like Samsung won’t be including ads into the OS but the company still is injecting ads into first-party apps like Samsung weather.

Original Story: Samsung has been working on the OneUI 2.5 update for a couple of months now and it looks like the company is ready to roll out the update as screenshots of the update have surfaced online.

However, the new screenshot does not put Samsung in a good light as the company might be planning to introduce ads into the OS. The leaked screenshots of the update show ads inside Samsung’s weather app and on the Samsung lock screen. On the lock screen, users will have to wait for 15 seconds and let the ad expire before the screen can be unlocked. The company will also be adding ads to first-party apps like Bixby and Weather. Those will be banner ads at the bottom of the screen.

Rumours suggest that these ads will be injected into budget A and M series phones and not to the flagship S and Note series. Samsung is expected to roll out the OneUI 2.5 update to Galaxy S20 series in August 2020.

Via Neowin