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Samsung’s sweeping One UI 5.1 rollout likely this Feb
Samsung just started the February 2023 security patch rollout for the Galaxy Note 20 series. At the same time, the company is working on the next One UI 5 version for select eligible Galaxy devices. One UI 5.1 rollout is expected to start this Feb, which is now getting verified with big developments.
Consumers have started thinking to install the February 2023 patch update as a pre-One UI 5.1 release, but, Samsung might have a big plan! The Galaxy S20 FE 4G smartphone is testing February 2023 build with One UI 5.1 version under the hood, indicating a wider rollout this Feb.
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As spotted by CheckFirm (via), the Galaxy S20 FE’s One UI 5.1 update brings PDA version number G780FXXUAFWB1 (INS – India). As soon as the testing of this firmware concludes, the customers would start getting the changes and features over the air.
S20 FE apart, there are a number of Galaxy devices that are eligible for the One UI 5.1 update including the latest Galaxy S22 series as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. The 5.1 version of One UI may not be available for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite, while confusion for S20 series and Flip 1st gen.
Samsung amazed Galaxy users with the fastest OS upgrade rollout of One UI 5.0. It’s likely that the company may follow the same path for this new One UI 5.1 version too, and older Galaxy models could get access to new features and improved animation/visuals this month itself.
Samsung One UI 5.1 will rollout for various Galaxy devices, including:
- Galaxy S22 | S22+ | S22 Ultra
- Galaxy S21 | S21+ | S21 Ultra | S21 FE
- Galaxy S20 | S20+ | S20 Ultra | S20 FE
- Galaxy Note 20 | Note 20 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 | Z Flip 4
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 | Z Flip 3
- Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Galaxy Z Flip 5G | Z Flip
Samsung One UI 5.1 expected features changelog:
Camera
- Changing the hue for a selfie just got easier
Easily change the hue of your selfies with the Effects button on the side of the screen. - Quick access to Expert RAW
The Expert RAW app allows you to capture high-quality images without any processing or compression, perfect for those who want to edit their photos later. Accessing Expert RAW is now easier from the Advanced menu.
Gallery
- Common family album
With Shared Family Album, sharing photos with your family is easier than ever. Gallery recommends photos to add to your shared family album by recognizing your family members’ faces. You also get 5GB of storage per family member (up to 6 people). - Improved handling
Processing automatically removes shadows and reflections to make your photos look great. You can also recreate GIFs for better resolution and clarity. - Convenient information display
If you swipe up when viewing a picture or video in your gallery, you can see at a glance when and where the picture was taken, on which device, where it’s stored, and more. - Search has become more powerful
You can now search for more than one person or item at a time. You can even search for people without tagging their names, just by clicking on their faces.
Choose a location to save screenshots
Now you can save screenshots and screen recordings in a folder of your choice by setting it up in the advanced features.
AR-Zone und AR-Emoji:
- Use 3 Emojis in AR Emoji Camera
Take fun photos and videos with friends (up to 3 people) in mask mode. You can replace your friends’ faces with other characters by clicking the emoji. - Layout and editing improvements in AR Doodles
The brushes are now available on the main AR Doodle screen for quicker access. You can also resize and move drawings after you create them, and the new eraser tool lets you erase just a portion of your drawings without completely erasing them.
Widgets:
- New battery widget
With the new battery widget you can check the battery level of your Galaxy devices. Right from the home screen, you can see how much battery your smartphone, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch and other supported devices have left. - Intuitive weather widget
The new illustration style and a summary of the current weather conditions make it easy to know the weather information, whether it’s sunny, cloudy, raining or snowing.
Modes and Scenarios:
- Different wallpapers depending on the mode
Set different wallpapers on the lock screen and the home screen depending on your current activities. Choose a background for work, one for sport and more by setting different modes. - More conditions and actions for scenarios
Run scripts automatically when you turn on airplane mode or mobile hotspot. Scripts can now open some apps, adjust left/right audio balance, and more. New actions now let you control Quick Share and touch sensitivity, as well as change the ringtone and font style.
Connectivity:
- Collaboration in Samsung Notes
Create a shared note that multiple people can edit at the same time. Write a report with colleagues, take notes for a study group, or draw a picture with a friend. The possibilities are endless. - Inviting to shared apps made easy
Now you can easily invite people to shared albums, notes, and calendars using a link that can be shared across apps like messenger, email, and social networks. - Advanced multiple controls between Galaxy Book and smartphone
Now you can use your Galaxy Book’s mouse, keyboard, or trackpad not only with your Galaxy tablet, but also with your Galaxy smartphone. You can easily copy and paste text and drag and drop images from one device to another as if it were the same device. - Media output for WiFi speakers
If you want to continue listening to music on Wi-Fi speakers via Spotify Connect and the built-in Chromecast, simply open the media output from the quick access toolbar, not the music apps. - Continue surfing on the PC
If you surf the Internet on your smartphone with Samsung Internet and then continue browsing on your PC, you can find the websites you opened on your smartphone and continue browsing them with the PC browser.
Samsung DeX:
- Improved multitasking in DeX
In split screen mode, you can now drag the splitter in the middle of the screen to resize both windows. You can also snap a window to one of its corners so that it takes up a quarter of the screen.
Settings:
- Settings suggestions
Suggestions are now displayed at the top of the settings screen, letting you know about useful features to try or settings that need your attention so you can enable or try them right away.
Samsung-Internet:
- Improved search
You can now search by folder name in bookmarks or by group name in tabs. Improved search logic allows you to find what you’re looking for, even if something is misspelled.
Setup-Assistant
- Faster and easier initial setup of your new Galaxy
If you’re switching to a new Galaxy from a Galaxy or other Android device, simply scan the QR code on your old device to automatically migrate your Wi-Fi networks, Samsung account, and Google account to the new one Device to transfer without typing anything.
Weather:
- Detailed weather information at a glance
Useful weather information is now displayed on the Weather app’s main screen. You can check severe weather alerts, daily weather reports, hourly precipitation and color temperature charts.
Calls:
- Bixby text calls
Use Bixby text calls to automatically answer calls and find out the purpose of the call. You see what the caller is saying in a text chat, and you can tap or type replies that are read aloud to the caller. Bixby text calls are only available in English and Korean.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has undergone one of the most extreme military tests. The company has recently published a Watch Ultra test video, featuring Phillip Chu Joy.
Phillip participated in the Peruvian Navy’s Special Operations Course to showcase the watch’s capabilities. It is renowned as one of the world’s most challenging military training programs.
“The Galaxy Watch Ultra pushes technology to its limits, handling extreme conditions with ease,” Chu Joy remarked. “It’s undoubtedly designed for those seeking exceptional performance.”
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra proves its durability and functionality in water, mud, and sand — excelling even under the grueling conditions of Peru’s most extreme military training.
Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Watch Ultra boasts a Grade 4 titanium frame. It also features a shockproof cushioned design that meets MIL-STD-810H2 military standards and water resistance of up to 10ATM.
The product is capable of operating within a broad temperature range of -20°C to 55°C4 and performing at altitudes of up to 9,000 meters above sea level.
These capabilities make it ideal for tracking advanced physical activities like ocean swimming and cycling in extreme conditions; take the Perivian military training as a recent proven example.
Samsung’s Watch Ultra is the ultimate companion for sports enthusiasts and extreme adventurers. It’s crafted to endure the toughest conditions with its pro-grade features and premium materials.
Samsung’s Mauricio Revollar stated:
“We wanted the public to experience the Galaxy Watch Ultra like never before in the Peruvian market by creating the most extreme product review ever undertaken here.”
“This was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Peruvian Navy, which allowed us to highlight and celebrate the commitment of the students in one of the world’s most demanding military training programs.”
Watch the video below:
Apple collaborated with OpenAI to power Apple Intelligence features. The ChatGPT maker continues to create obstacles for Google. In a recent move, OpenAI discussed a potential AI partnership with Samsung.
TheInformation (via Reuters) reported that OpenAI has recently discussed powering AI features on Samsung-made devices. It seems the ChatGPT-maker wishes an AI partnership with Samsung to expand its reach in multiple folds.
The company is considering developing a web browser to rival Google’s Chrome. OpenAI recently introduced its search engine called SearchGPT. It is available to limited users alongside internal testers and strategic partners.
Samsung x OpenAI
Samsung and Google’s close partnership doesn’t need any elaboration. The friendship isn’t limited to services, as both firms work across an ecosystem. However, it doesn’t stop Samsung from partnering with OpenAI in favor of better service.
As the AI phone market is growing rapidly, OpenAI may innovate further. Google doesn’t lag, but there’s still room for a potential alliance. Apple Intelligence-like features might be deployed on Galaxy phones after Samsung’s partnership.
OpenAI knows Samsung holds the command of the worldwide smartphone market. Expansion of its services will be quite broader than Apple if its partnership with Samsung pens down. For now, take this information as a grain of salt!
Apple x OpenAI
Apple leads the worldwide premium smartphone market. Google and Samsung introduced their AI phones in October 2023 and January 2024, respectively. It forced Apple to immediately enter the segment to normalize the innovation gap.
Google’s availing Gemini Nano AI model, but Apple joined hands with OpenAI. To create a difference, OpenAI powering some of the coolest AI features on recent iPhones. The move is to attract other vendors to adopt source AI from OpenAI.
Well, Apple still reportedly considering bringing Gemini AI on iPhones. The company believes that iPhone users should have different AI providers available. Hence, a multi-collaborative approach is also in the pipeline, at least from Apple’s end.
Samsung revealed its Project Infinity, which aims to make your Galaxy devices safer against cyber threats. Android is vulnerable due to its open-source nature, making regular security updates necessary for your Galaxy phone’s security.
Project Infinity of Samsung is a classified operation, working on safeguarding Galaxy devices and users around the clock for safer operations. Samsung Newsroom has recently published a blog post, revealing insights from specialist meetings.
Cyber Threat Intelligence
Samsung’s Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) taskforce is a reconnaissance unit within Project Infinity along with the Red (RED), Blue (BLUE), and Purple (PURPLE) Teams, which go beyond lab conditions to identify real-world dangers.
- RED and BLUE perform proactive attack and defense functions, seeking out vulnerabilities and taking measures against them.
- PURPLE is a special operations unit that acts as both a sword and shield for specific critical areas.
It’s worth noting that Samsung has deployed RED, BLUE, and PURPLE teams in various countries including Vietnam, Poland, Ukraine and Brazil. CTI is dedicated to identifying potential threats and stopping hackers from taking control of your device.
“Once we spot these kinds of threats, we collaborate with developers and operators to lock everything down for preventing attacks,” said Ranger, a CTI member.
Samsung Security Updates
Earlier this year, Samsung announced it to support flagship Galaxy devices for seven years. The new policy applies to all flagship Galaxy devices launched after the Galaxy S24 series. It’s the longest software support offered by any mobile brand.
These updates mean customers can safely use their phones for longer. As cyber threats become more common than you think, security updates are much more crucial to safeguard your Galaxy from any potential threat of vulnerability.