Samsung Begins One UI 5.1 (Android 13) Rollout for Older Phones

The newly launched Samsung Galaxy S23 family are the company’s first devices with One UI 5.1, its custom software based on Android 13. Now, Samsung has officially announced the release of One UI 5.1 to older smartphones. The One UI rollout reaches all the way back to Samsung’s 2020-era flagships, but the cheaper A-series phones aren’t included in the first group.

According to Samsung, owners of the S22 series, S21 series, and S20 series are eligible for the OTA to OneUI 5.1. The foldable Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 are also on the list. The OTA is already rolling out and has been available on some European unlocked phones since this past weekend. As for last year’s foldables, the Fold3 and Flip3 will start getting the OTA to One UI 5.1 in the coming weeks.

The above updates are rolling out now, but SamMobile claims there will be more One UI 5.1 updates before long. The timeline, which reportedly comes straight from Samsung, calls for the Galaxy Tab S8 series to get the Android 13 update later in February, alongside the Fold3 and Flip3. This is also when some of Samsung’s recent A-series phones, including the A73 5G, A53 5G, and A33 5G, will begin receiving the OTA. One notable absence on the official upgrade list is the Note20 Ultra, the final entrant in Samsung’s stylus-focused product line from 2020. This device will allegedly get the update in the final February batch, along with the A72, A52, Tab S7 family, and the 2021 foldables. In early March, the list will expand to include still older mid-range phones like the A71 and A51, along with the Tab S6 Lite tablet.

Multi Control with Samsung devices.

Samsung used to be among the worst offenders regarding slow and missing device updates, but it stepped up its update guarantee starting in 2020. It currently promises four years of OS updates and five years of security patches. So, even the older phones on the list, like the Galaxy S20, still have one more OS update ahead of them.

The 5.1 update to Samsung’s One UI skin adds a smattering of minor changes. The default gallery app now has facial recognition for easier organizing, and Samsung’s Expert RAW app is now integrated with the camera of select devices. One UI 5.1 also adds Multi Control, which is Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Universal Control. It allows you to link Samsung phones with Samsung Galaxy Book laptops for screen sharing and remote control. The underlying Android 13 software adds more theming options, easier device setup, and system-level security improvements.

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