Samsung One UI 8.5 Teases TILTA Lens Controller Support

Samsung’s next One UI camera update is looking to add much more with the click of an upgrade button. Fresh mentions in the Camera Assistant app on One UI 8.5 suggest native compatibility with TILTA wireless lens controllers, providing hints that Samsung is moving towards more expensive video workflows on its Galaxy phones, and could indicate an early arrival alongside the very next series of Galaxy smartphones in this generation — the Galaxy S26 series.

What the One UI 8.5 Code Denotes About TILTA Support

Strings found in the One UI 8.5 Camera Assistant app specifically mention a “TILTA wireless lens controller,” with instructions on how to work it. It would come in Pro video mode and request nearby device permissions. In practical terms, that means Samsung is establishing a pairing pathway — almost certainly via Bluetooth Low Energy — allowing for a TILTA hand grip or wheel to control focus on a phone directly, as we’ve seen with pulling focus (aka focus pulling) from cinema cameras.

Also, the placement inside Camera Assistant is important. This companion app has turned into Samsung’s sandbox for opt-in, high-end features: toggles that go above and beyond the default camera experience. This is where you would expect an early integration such as that to appear before being subtly worked into the camera app proper further down the line.

What TILTA Integration Means for Pros and Crews

TILTA is a popular name on sets when it comes to rigs and lens control — systems like the Nucleus Nano and Nucleus M have been relied on for pulling focus with sub-millimeter accuracy. Introducing that ecosystem to Galaxy phones still allows for old-fashioned two-operator rigs: one person pushes the gimbal or rig while someone else pulls focus with a follow-focus wheel to hit focus marks. In smartphone cinematography — music videos, branded content, live events — this could mean no more awkward on-screen taps and fewer micro-jitters when making crucial focus pulls.

It’s also in line with a general business trend. Mobile has been climbing the pro ladder through ecosystems rather than sensor size alone. Apple embraced this with ProRes, Log profiles, and support for external drives on recent iPhones. Samsung’s response has been Pro video controls, Expert RAW, and computational updates; adding support for professional lens controllers is the next logical step in courting those same creators that already own cinema gear.

How TILTA Wireless Lens Controller Support Could Work

It’s not hard to imagine a TILTA hand unit that would map its focus wheel to the phone’s in/out manual focus control in Pro video mode, allowing smooth rack focus moves and repeatable marks.

If Samsung cracks open the API wider, secondary controls (variable zoom steps, start/stop triggers, preset recall) might follow. The “nearby device” permission callout strongly suggests that Bluetooth LE is at play here for low-latency input, although Samsung may layer in tighter discovery via Android’s Nearby stack.

There is also a chance for more general accessory support. If Samsung settles on that control interface, other manufacturers — think DJI or Zhiyun — would be able to design compatible control surfaces. Even if only a fraction of them (perhaps 10–20% due to limitations in the existing hardware) create and ship, we’d get dozens more professional tools on the market that could act as remote controls for Galaxy cameras without ever needing to touch their screens, too.

Galaxy S26 Tie-In Possible With One UI 8.5 Rollout

One UI 8.5 certainly isn’t single-device-bound, but the timing could see it served up as a highlight of the Galaxy S26 family from Samsung. Even if the camera hardware isn’t upgraded significantly, coupling it with pro-level control support would help drive home to consumers that the Galaxy is now a go-to tool on set. Samsung has traditionally launched a few headline software features alongside new flagships, before eventually filtering support to certain older models depending on how compatible their chipsets and camera pipeline happen to be.

The larger story is strategic: gaining credibility with filmmakers and serious creators may affect accessory makers, rental houses, and post-production workflows. But once phones fit into existing rigs and established routines, they are indeed a potential B-cam, or a crash cam, or even an A-cam for certain types of shot when the priority is sheer size and mobility.

What It Means for the Average User and Creators

In the end, most people won’t purchase a wireless follow-focus. But pro-facing features have a way of trickling down, sometimes in unexpected ways. A remote control layer that starts with TILTA could lead to smarter Bluetooth accessories, better manual focus assists, and richer control surfaces for people who create imagery using gimbals or grips. At the very least, it means Samsung is thinking past point-and-shoot convenience and putting resources behind the sort of nuance that video professionals demand.

Bottom Line on Samsung One UI 8.5 and TILTA Support

References in the code of Samsung One UI 8.5 suggest that Samsung will soon be bringing native TILTA wireless lens controller support for Pro video mode. It’s a niche addition with outsize implications — positioning Galaxy phones for more serious cinematography, and potentially joining the S26 lineup as it debuts. If Samsung delivers, it could also close the wide divide between what people shoot when they’re making movies on their phones and the kit that’s used to make real-deal cinema — not an experiment.