Samsung Weekender: One UI 6.1 Galaxy S23 issues, new/upcoming features list, S20 updates plan, Watch FE, April 2024 patch, and Fold 6 Ultra

Welcome to the Weekender, Galaxy Fans! In the April 2024 first-week edition, we will give you the latest insights on Samsung’s plans, products, and updates for this entire week. Right now, Samsung is busy preparing a software update to solve Galaxy S23 issues, expanding the April 2024 update, releasing new features for apps, and working on new features for Expert RAW and Home UP, and more.

Samsung Weekender – First Week of April 2024

Galaxy S23 issue after One UI 6.1 update

Samsung Galaxy S23 users are facing issues with the fingerprint scanner after the One UI 6.1 update. The animation for the fingerprint scanner doesn’t appear during phone unlocking.

Fortunately, Samsung knows this problem and plans to fix it soon with a software update. Additionally, users have also reported touchscreen responsiveness problems, making it difficult to open apps and perform tasks.

April 2024 Expansion

Samsung has released an April 2024 security update to more Galaxy devices including Galaxy A53 5G, Galaxy A13, Galaxy A52 4G, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 smartphones.

Galaxy Apps New Features

Samsung consistently updates its apps and has introduced another set of updates this week, featuring notable improvements and new functionalities. You can check the list of apps and their recently added features below

Expert RAW: Lossless RAW format, Neutral Density (ND) Filter

Bixby Vision: Advanced Text Reader

Samsung Find: Lost Mode, Notify when left behind (wearable), Set notification interval

Photo Editor: Magnetic Lasso tool, Improved Spot Color

LockStar: Edit AOD function, Manual AOD Brightness Slider

Wonderland: Fluid Effect, Enhanced UI

Upcoming Expert RAW and Home Up Features

Samsung’s Expert RAW app will soon feature “AstroPortrait Mode,” blending astrophotography with portraits to capture stars and people together. Additionally, Samsung’s One UI will update its Home Up app, offering customizable app icon sizes and improved Finder functionality for better accessibility and personalization.

No more monthly updates for the Galaxy S20 series

Introduced in 2020, the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, including the S20, S20 5G, S20+, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra, and S20 Ultra 5G models, initially came with Android 10. These devices have completed their three-year promise to Android updates. Moving forward, they will receive updates quarterly rather than monthly.

The Galaxy Note 20 series and the Galaxy S20 FE were mistakenly moved to a quarterly update schedule separately. However, this was promptly corrected, and they have since returned to a monthly update cycle.

Samsung beats Apple in February 2024

In February 2024, Samsung regained the lead in smartphone sales over Apple, thanks to the well-received Galaxy AI and S24 series introduced in January 2024.

Upcoming Devices

Samsung is anticipated to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6, featuring a slimmer design and lighter weight compared to its predecessors. The device is expected to use a 7.6-inch main display and a 6.3-inch cover display, both with improved resolution. An Ultra model with distinct features and potential S Pen compatibility is also speculated.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE has also been spotted in the IMEI database, indicating its existence and hinting at a global release, including the US and South Korea. The models listed, SM-R866F, SM-R866U, and SM-R866N, suggest it’s in development and may feature the Exynos W920 chip, similar to the Watch 4.