One UI 9 Demo Animation Leaks, Samsung Galaxy Tab May Adopt Punch-Hole Design

Samsung’s next-generation One UI 9 software may hint at a major design shift for the Galaxy Tab lineup. Tech media outlet SamMobile has uncovered a set of rotation animations embedded in the One UI 9 beta firmware that suggest Samsung is exploring a punch-hole camera design for its tablets, moving away from the current notch-based approach.

According to the leaked animations, one sequence shows the front-facing camera positioned at the center of the screen’s long edge in portrait orientation, while another places it at the center of the short edge — a layout strikingly similar to modern smartphones. Both configurations would eliminate the notch that has characterized recent Galaxy Tab Ultra models.

SamMobile noted that these specific animations were not present in One UI 8.5 (based on Android 16), suggesting they are genuinely new additions to One UI 9 rather than carryovers from earlier software versions.

However, the publication also cautioned that Samsung frequently uses generic device illustrations for help pages and tutorials. As a result, these animations cannot be taken as definitive proof that a punch-hole Galaxy Tab is in development.

Currently, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Tab lineup — including the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra — all feature a notch design rather than a punch-hole cutout. If Samsung does transition to a punch-hole camera for future tablets, it would represent a significant aesthetic change, offering a more immersive display experience with a smaller visual intrusion.

Whether the punch-hole design materializes in the next hardware generation or remains a conceptual exploration will likely become clearer as Samsung continues development of One UI 9 ahead of its stable release.