Galaxy S23 users aren't happy with Samsung's decision to stick with OpenGL instead of Vulkan on One UI 7

It seems a lot of Galaxy S23 users are annoyed with a technical decision Samsung seems to have made regarding graphics. From what I’m seeing on forums and social media, many S23 users who’ve received the One UI 7 update aren’t happy that it appears to be sticking with OpenGL for graphics rendering instead of switching over to Vulkan.

Now, if you’re not deep into mobile tech specifics, OpenGL and Vulkan are essentially languages or “APIs” that software uses to talk to the phone’s graphics hardware. Think of Vulkan as the newer, more efficient language. It’s designed for modern processors and can handle tasks better across multiple cores, leading to smoother performance, less strain on the main chip, and often, better battery life because the hardware isn’t working as hard. OpenGL is older and generally less efficient.

What’s making users particularly upset is that during the One UI 7 beta program, specifically with Beta 1, Samsung did implement Vulkan. People who were part of that beta reported some really positive changes. They talked about animations feeling smoother, games running better, and their phones not getting as warm, especially during longer use. It felt like the S23’s powerful hardware was finally being fully utilized. But then, later beta versions reportedly switched back to OpenGL, and now it looks like the stable release has done the same.

This switch back feels like a step backward to many users. I’ve seen comments where people are genuinely confused and disappointed, especially after experiencing the benefits of Vulkan in the early beta. Some are even starting to wonder if there’s a less-than-ideal reason for the change, like maybe Samsung wants newer phones to seem significantly better.

I’ve highlighted a few comments from users regarding the change for reference:

Thank you for writing this. I couldn’t agree more with every point you’ve made. The temperature difference and battery life improvement was evident in beta 1. Vulkan in One UI Beta 1 was a major upgrade—smoother animations, better gaming, and cooler temps. Reverting to OpenGL feels like a step backward. They should give an explanation. – AlRy

Another user, Bpunk, who was in the beta, shared a similar view:

I was part of the beta. In Beta 1, they were using Vulkan; in Beta 2, they switched to OpenGL. Now, I hear that the official S23 One UI 7 release is using OpenGL. It’s nothing but planned obsolescence.

User OkSuccess9856 said:

They purposefully didn’t bring audio eraser, but they did bring it to the Exynos S24. They purposefully left the S23 from February 25 with unbelievable battery drain during screen-off. Samsung’s policy is disgusting, and I was thinking of buying the S25, but seeing what they do to “older” flagships, I will look into other Android brands.

Over on Samsung’s community forums, Surya Pavan lamented:

Vulkan offers significant advantages over OpenGL – many users had noticed better battery life and improved performance when Vulkan was used. It’s disappointing to see Samsung move away from Vulkan in the stable release.

While I could go on highlighting many similar complaints from users, the point is pretty clear. Galaxy S23 users are not happy with this decision. That said, a Samsung mod did attempt to explain the reasoning behind the decision in response to a post about the change during the beta testing. Here’s what they said:

So it’s clear that even after the beta testing, Samsung wasn’t convinced enough to pick Vulkan over OpenGL. There’s still no official clarification for the decision, so all we can do is speculate.

What are your thoughts on the decision? Let us know in the comments section below. That said, if you haven’t yet bagged One UI 7 on your S23, don’t fret. The update is still rolling out and the rollout might continue into May.