Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
Samsung’s third One UI 5.0 beta arrived late last week, and users have started noticing that the lock screen customization options look pretty darn similar to those introduced by Apple in iOS 16 earlier this month (via 9to5Mac). While Samsung has been letting users customize their lock screens for years now, whether through its Good Lock app or its One UI system, its most recent update seems to take a lot of inspiration from Apple (although inspiration can flow in both directions).
Lock screen customization is one of the biggest changes in iOS 16, as Apple introduced widgets, new wallpaper options, and the ability to tweak everything from font type, colors, wallpaper filters, and more. The latest version of the beta gives Samsung users more control over the placement of the clock, as well as introduces an array of font and color options.
GoodLock vs Samsung OneUI 5 vs iOS 16
Show me exactly where GoOdlock Did It First
Where’s the Lockscreen Wallpaper Filter Option? From where Samsung copied Long Press to Customise Lockscreen Interface and Wallpaper Picker
The OneUI 5 Lockscreen Interface is a copy of iOS16 pic.twitter.com/nGaOkt8KTF
— Vaibhav Jain (@vvaiibhav) September 26, 2022
In a post on Twitter, TechDroider founder Vaibhav Jain shows off the similarities between iOS 16, the One UI 5 beta, and Good Lock, the Samsung-specific app that opens up other device customization options that aren’t built into the system. Just like in iOS 16, Samsung’s One UI 5.0 beta 3 also introduces the ability to long-press on the lock screen to change it instead of making you dig around in settings.
Seeing phone makers copy each other is nothing new, but it’s kind of funny seeing Samsung seemingly inspired by Apple’s approach so soon after delivering an ad campaign targeting the brand for not having a foldable phone in its lineup. It even mocked the company’s lack of “innovative” features in a thread on Twitter following the release of the iPhone 14 and called it out for having a 48MP main camera when compared to Samsung’s 108MP sensor in the Galaxy S20 Ultra.