Can you guess which Android phones were the first to be updated in 2023?
Today is the first Monday of the month and all Pixel users know what that means. It's time for the monthly security and functional updates. The former consists of patches to close vulnerabilities while the latter is made up of bug fixes. So as a Pixel user, this writer has been trying to coax an update for my Pixel 6 Pro by going to Settings > System > System update but to no avail. It's possible that with New Year's Day observed today (since the holiday fell on a Sunday this year), we won't see the update until tomorrow.
However, Samsung continues to outgoogle Google. First of all, the Galaxy S22 series features four years of major Android updates taking users to Android 16. My Pixel 6 Pro, purchased the same year, only receives three years of major Android updates to Android 15. Did we mention that as far as the Pixels are concerned, Google designs the hardware and develops the operating system? It makes you wonder how Samsung offers four years of major Android updates while Google delivers only three.
An older Samsung phone is the first to receive the monthly update in 2023
But we digress. It's time for you to put on your thinking cap. Riddle me this Batman, name the phone which was the first Android device to receive the January 2023 security update today. The Pixel 7 series you say? Sure, they are the latest Pixel models released so they must be the first to receive the update. After all, getting the first crack at Android updates is one of the reasons we Pixel-elated phone enthusiasts buy Pixel models, right?
No update today for the Pixel line. Try again tomorrow
But, no, the Pixel 7 series is not the correct answer. Neither is the Pixel 6 line or the Pixel 6a. In fact, we gave you a major hint two paragraphs ago. It is actually a Samsung model that is the first Android phone to receive the January 2023 security update. And thanks to my psychic abilities (I'm as psychic as the Long Island Medium. Take that comment any way you want), I know you're going to guess the Galaxy S22 line. And that's a big "NO" again. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are also incorrect.
As reported by SamMobile, the first Android device to receive the first security update of 2023 is (drum roll, please) the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ released in 2019. The Galaxy Note 10 is receiving firmware update N970FXXS8HVL3 but only in Switzerland for now. The rest of Europe will get the update soon while those living in the states might have to wait until the end of the month to receive it. Still, it doesn't take away from the fact that these phones are the first Android devices worldwide to get the very first update for 2023.
If you live in Switzerland and own the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+, you can put down your knife for a second and your Little Debbie chocolate roll, and pick up your phone. Go to Settings > Software update and tap on Download and install. Interestingly enough, the last major Android update for both the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy 10+ was Android 12 which arrived in late 2021 as part of the One UI 4 update.
You can't tell the players without a scorecard
Today, the Galaxy Note 10+ received firmware update N975FXXS8HVL3. Both phones will receive security patches and bug fixes from the updates. But here is where things can get confusing. Because the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite was released in January 2020, approximately five months after the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+, it came out of the box with Android 10 pre-installed.
And since Sammy offered three major Android updates at the time, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite did get updated to Android 13. The other Galaxy Note 10 models were released with Android 9 installed which made both the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ ineligible to receive a major Android update past Android 12.
As they used to say at ballparks across the U.S., "you can't tell the players without a scorecard." As for those Pixel owners who might have to wait until tomorrow for the January update, you'll have to live with whichever bug the update fixes for just one more day.
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