WithĀ rumorsĀ of the official One UI 5 beta starting soon andĀ internal previews already underway,Ā people are getting excited to see what Samsung has up its sleeveĀ for Android 13. Luckily, Iāve managed to get my hands on the latest One UI 5 beta before the public beta even starts. Letās take a look at everything thatās new in One UI 5.
To provide some context, this build was provided by a source and is not one that Samsung has released publicly, so it might not provide a complete picture of One UI 5 given the initial nature. It is an early beta that unfortunately does not have a changelog, so everything new below has been from using One UI 5 and comparing to One UI 4.
Tweaked notification design
The notification design has been slightly tweaked between One UI 4 and One UI 5. There are new icons for notifications along with an updated design style. The notification shade and quick settings also have a slight tweak to opacity. Neither of these changes are major, but they do bring an overall different feel to the notification shade as a whole in usage.
Stock Android permission dialogs
One big surprise with One UI 5 is Samsungās choice to use the default Android permission dialogs. This is by no means a bad thing, and it is very similar to how Google does it. This could have been to help speed up the update process by not changing things that donāt need to be changed in Android, or it could just be so early Samsung hasnāt gotten to changing it in One UI 5 yet. Weāll find out soon enough in future betas.
OCR in Gallery and insert text from image in keyboard
Samsung has now added OCR (Optical Character Recognition) that lets you copy text from images to the Gallery app and keyboard. When the device detects text in a photograph, it will now have a button at the bottom of the gallery letting you pull text from the image. This used to be part of Bixby Vision, but was turned into its own feature in One UI 5.
Keyboard OCR works the same way it does on iOS. In any text field, you can select extract text and hold the camera up to anything to grab text from it and insert it. The UI on Samsungās version is incredibly similar to iOS as well.
Security and privacy hub
One UI 5 Security and Privacy Hub
The security and privacy hub is a Samsung proprietary version of what Google madeĀ for Pixel on Android 13. It places all your accounts, passwords, security, and privacy features into one screen, thus allowing for easy access to everything. It will also scan for anything that might be abusing app permissions or a security setting that isnāt enabled and recommend you enable it for all around better security.
Unfortunately, there is nothing new in the hub. All of the settings and features here were also found in One UI 4, but it is good to see Samsung making access to all of this easier and being proactive about warning those who are less tech-savvy.
New multitasking gestures
In Labs, there are now two options for multitasking and accessing the feature. Youāll now be able to swipe up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers to access split view or swipe in from the top right corner to make a popup window. Neither currently work in this build, but they should by the time it launches.
Miscellaneous changes
Collaboration in Samsung Notes
Currently active app in quick settings
About phone page now shows image of device
UWB toggle in settings
At the end of the day, there really isnāt much new in One UI 5. It has minor improvements across the board with an upgrade to animations. This isnāt a bad thing. It seems like Samsung is focusing on update speed, seeing as the beta is likely starting a month earlier with a planned release also being a month earlier.
Focusing on getting Android updates out there fast then bringing newer features with later updates that launch alongside new devices allows for more devices to get updates and for Samsung to focus on new features later. With promises of four years of OS updates, this is a good thing to see and a good start for the Galaxy S22s. Weāll have to see how things go for Samsungās Z foldables, A line of phones, and Tab series of devices.
Google has yet to finalize Android 13, but it seems more updates are coming up quick. Some new evidence points to the Android 13 beta coming soon for the Samsung Galaxy S22 series.
Samsung Android 13 beta seems to be coming up soon
Recently, GoogleĀ released the third beta update for Android 13Ā which delivered a few tweaks and fixes as the platform refresh moves towards its final release. As it appears right now, Google should release Android 13 to the public sometime in August or September, well ahead of last yearās schedule.
As highlighted by the folks over atĀ TizenHelp, it seems Samsung is ready to start testing out its own flavor of Android 13 in a beta update.
Firmware version S906NKSU2ZVF6 popped up in Samsungās home country of South Korea, which is believed to be the first Android 13 build for a Galaxy S22 series device. The update has yet to roll out to anyone, but development is well underway.
As is usually the case, the update will likely be available first for the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra, Samsungās current flagships. Foldables and the Galaxy S21 series will likely follow closely behind.
What will Android 13 bring to Samsungās devices? āOne UI 5.0ā is still largely a mystery at this point, but we have some hints that it willĀ improve some animationsĀ and other small tweaks, but larger changes remain to be seen. With One UI 4.0, Samsung adopted a form of Material You to bring accent colors to its Android skin based on a userās wallpaper.
It was previously reported that Samsung wouldĀ release its Android 13 beta in July. Last year, SamsungĀ released the Android 12 beta in September, so this would beĀ farĀ ahead of schedule.
This continues Samsungās speedy track record
Samsung has become a shining example of what Android updates should look like, delivering some of the longest support timelines and the fastest updates.
In 2021,Ā Samsung beat Googleās PixelĀ by delivering four years of security updates to its Galaxy smartphones, andĀ doubled down on that in 2022. Now, new Galaxy devices get four years of major Android updates and five years of security updates.
Samsung is, right now, quite literally the best brand for Android updates. Only Googleās Pixel 6 series rivals it, and even then, it falls a bit behind.
Everything you need to know about Android updates on Samsung Galaxy devices
Updates are crucial to the health and overall performance of your Samsung Galaxy phone, no matter when it was made. This complete guide will give you all the information you need about Samsungās Android and security updates, timelines, and more.
How to check for updates on Galaxy devices
Most of the time, updates are pushed automatically to your Galaxy phone. Youāll know one is ready if you see a little notification that says āUpdate ready to install.ā All thatās required to start the update is a password entry or verification that you want to initiate the update. The problem with this system is that it takes a little while for these updates to automatically push to your device.
The solution? By manually checking for updates on your Samsung Galaxy phone, youāll be able to discover updates earlier, meaning you get the latest security patch or new OS even sooner. Hereās how to check for updates on your Samsung Galaxy phone:
Head intoĀ settingsĀ on your Samsung Galaxy device.
Scroll all the way to the bottom and look forĀ Software update. Tap it.
TapĀ Download and install.
Your device will start looking for new updates. If one is available, your device will prompt you to either install it or schedule an install time. You can schedule the update to install during the night so it wonāt disturb your routine.
After the installation starts, it should only take about 10 minutes or so to completely install a security update. If itās a larger Android update, you may want to schedule it to initiate at night, since it may take a good amount of time.
Can I sideload on Samsung phones?
Android devices are built on the idea of being able to configure them to your liking. This includes being able to push new updates to your device before theyāre officially available. This is called sideloading, and it takes a little more than just a few taps on your device. Youāll usually need a computer and added software.
Sideloading involves using a computer to manually send a file image to your device ā usually in developer or recovery mode, depending on the method used ā and having the computer use a series of tools to install the new OS on your device. Samsung devices make this a little tricky compared to Googleās Pixel line since Google has a lot of support available forĀ Android sideloading.
While itās absolutely possible to do, it isnāt an ideal process for the average user. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in this process that could critically damage your device. So, unless you absolutely know what youāre doing, sideloading should be a last resort when it comes to updates on your Samsung device. Waiting for the built-in update tool to get the update is safer andĀ muchĀ easier.
How often does Samsung release security updates?
Samsung has a few different schedules when it comes to updates, but the company is one of the best in the industry for Android updates and security patches. Some devices get monthly security updates, some get quarterly, and some phones are only updated twice a year.
Generally, the older the device is, the more sparse the updates are. Devices like the Galaxy S8 Lite and some A-Series phones only get biannual security updates since they were released before 2019. Newer devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 get monthly security updates and likely will for a while.
Some Samsung devices slow down in update frequency as they age, moving from a monthly schedule to a quarterly schedule. For example, the Galaxy Note 9 launched with monthly updates but now has a quarterly schedule. To check the status of your device,Ā check here.
How long will my Samsung device get Android updates?
There are two different types of updates for your Samsung Galaxy phone. The first is security updates, which keep your device up to date with the newest cybersecurity precautions Samsung can offer. The other is system updates, otherwise known as Android updates. These are software updates meant to fix bugs and add features like those found inĀ Android 12.
Samsungās security update schedules
Recently,Ā Samsung announcedĀ that phones sold in 2019 and later would receive four years of security updates. This means after four years of owning your device, you can rest assured knowing that the latest update for your phone is still keeping you safe. Here are the devices that will get four years of security updates:
In 2022, Samsung made an even better promise than in 2019. The company decided to improve it and begin offering five years of security updates for certain new devices, like the S22 line. Products that will be getting five years of security updates are:
Samsung provides up to five years of security updates to certain devices that are a part of the companyāsĀ Enterprise lineupĀ as well.
Android system updates
In terms of system updates, Samsung promises three years of Android updates for phones sold in 2019 or later, as well as a couple of other select devices. In essence, this means these devices get to see three different versions of Android in their lifetime, a new precedent previously unheard of from Samsung. Here are the devices eligible for three years of Android updates:
Galaxy S10
S10, S10 +, S10e, S10 5G, S10 Lite
Galaxy S20
S20 5G, S20 + 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE 5G
Galaxy Note 20
Note 20 5G, Note 20 Ultra 5G
Galaxy Note
Note10, Note10 +, Note10+ 5G
Galaxy Foldables
Fold, Z Fold 2 5G, Z Flip 5G
Galaxy A
A51 5G, A52 5G, A71 5G, A72, A90 5G
With the release of the Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, and Tab S8Ā Samsung has pushed the limit even further. Those who purchase these devices will be looking at a whole four years of Android updates! This also extends to āselectā future A series devices as well, with those getting five years of security updates and four years of Android system updates. Here are the devices looking at four years of Android system updates:
When three years were promised for some Galaxy devices, we initially thought this was a great move and an impressive one at that. With the newest Android system update guarantee for S22 devices, weāre even more blown away with the commitment to these phones. At this point,Ā Google has no excusesĀ to limit updates to three years.
This is the most that Samsung has ever offered in the way of making sure your device stays up to date for a long time. With that being the case, donāt be afraid to check for updates every once in a while since they take a bit to get pushed to your Samsung Galaxy device.
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