One UI 4.1 interface in development for 5G Galaxy S22 series
Last month, we passed along some speculation regarding Samsung's upcoming top-of-the-line Galaxy handset. That rumor called for the upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra to be unveiled in February possibly with Samsung's One UI 4.1 interface pre-installed. And if the updated interface is released along with the new 2022 handset, the manufacturer will also disseminate the new software as an update for the Galaxy S21 series (including the S21 Ultra) and the Galaxy Note 20 line.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra could receive the One UI 4.1 interface right out of the box
After those units receive the update, the Galaxy S20 series would be next to be updated along with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and other high-end and mid-range Galaxy smartphones. After the foldables are updated to One UI 4.1, high and mid-range Galaxy Tab tablets would be next. As you can tell by the small incremental advancement in the version of the update being released, the One UI 4.1 is not a Hollywood premiere with a dazzling list of features walking the red carpet.
Render of the Samsung Galaxy S22
According to SamMobile, One UI 4.1 is now under development. You might remember that the goal of the One UI build is to make it easier for those with large screened Galaxy devices to reach all of the elements on the display without having to "bounce" the phone in one hand in order to reach virtual buttons at the very top or bottom of the screen. Samsung is reportedly using a test build of the One UI 4.1 software, G998U1UEU5CVA4, to help it develop what will be down the road-the next stable version of the UI.
Since Samsung has pretty much just finished disseminating the One UI 4.0 update to compatible devices, guessing what we might find on One UI 4.1 would be an exercise in futility. Well, we can't go wrong by calling for an updated Android security update at the very least.
As for the timing, if One UI 4.1 isn't ready by the time the Galaxy S22 series is unveiled, a release during the second half of the year would be more likely. Under that scenario, the order of the road map most likely wouldn't change. So if you're playing along with the home version of the game, the order of the One UI 4.1 update begins with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the rest of the series right out of the box (unless the update won't be ready until the second half of this year).
The Galaxy S21 series is next to be followed by the Galaxy Note 20 line, the Galaxy S20 trio, the foldables, and the high-end and mid-range Galaxy Tab tablets. Samsung gets a gold star this year for the speed at which it has updated its devices to Android 12. We can't ever see a time when a non-Pixel phone (like a Galaxy handset or tablet) receives an Android update before Google's own line.
One non-Pixel phone that received fast Android updates was the Essential Phone
Some phones have been close to updating as fast as the Pixel models and perhaps it is no surprise that one of them was Andy Rubin's Essential Phone. Rubin is known as the father of Android so if anyone knows what needs to be done to receive quick Android updates, it is him. We expect Samsung to introduce the Galaxy S22 series on February 9th.
The team behind the Essential Phone is building a new smartphone brand called OSOM OV1. Focusing on user privacy and security, the brand is an acronym for for "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" and we'd imagine that fast Android updates would be one of the handset's features. The full specs of the device will be announced next month at MWC.
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