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Samsung One UI 5.1 Eligible Devices, Release Date, Features and Latest News
One UI 5.0 started to roll out for the Galaxy S22 series in late October and expanded to several older flagship devices on November 7. Samsung did the same with One UI 5.1, on February 13, it arrived as an early Valentine’s gift for the Galaxy S22, S21, and S20 series alongside the Z Fold 4, Flip 4, Fold 3, and Flip 3.
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Similar to One UI 5.0, the new One UI 5.1 version is also based on the Android 13 operating system. Since the Galaxy Note 20 and S20 series devices are no longer eligible for Android upgrades, Samsung made them happy with the new One UI 5.1 software.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 series on February 1st. The lineup includes three models namely the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. Pre-loaded with Android 13, the Galaxy S23 smartphones will get major updates up to Android 17.
Eligible Devices [Confirmed]
- 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 Features
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.
It is worth noting that the official announcement of the changelog has not been made by the company but well-known tipster Winfuture has shared it.
Latest News [Updated Feb. 23]
[February 21] Samsung expands One UI 5.1 to Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G and Galaxy A73 5G smartphones.
[February 18] Samsung released the One UI 5.1 for Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra.
[February 13] Samsung is rolling out One UI 5.1 update for Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Z Fold 4
[February 13] The Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 will start getting One UI 5.1 update on February 22 in Canada.
[February 01] Samsung officially introduced the Galaxy S23 smartphones, which bring One UI 5.1 pre-installed. The new software comes with various new features and major improvements over the One UI 5.0 for better user experiences.
[January 22] It’s been a long since Samsung started One UI 5.1 internal testing for Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, and Galaxy S20 smartphones before the official release. Now it seems like the update is almost ready for these flagship devices.
[January 21] The Galaxy S21 FE 5G and Galaxy A52s 5G are the latest Samsung smartphone that has begun testing the One UI 5.1 software so that users won’t face unstable features after installing it.
[January 18] Samsung released a lot of One UI 5.1-compatible apps for Galaxy devices. The latest apps that got One UI 5.1 support are Good Guardians, App Booster, Thermal Guardian, Memory Guardian, Battery Tracker, Media File Guardian, and Battery Guardian.
[January 17] Samsung’s statement on the official Galaxy Watch 5 update changelog says – “Watch’s Camera Controller zoom feature is only supported on flagship models released after Samsung Galaxy S20 or Z Flip running at least One UI 5.1.”
As per this information, the compatible flagship Galaxy phones are:
- 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 | Z Fold
- Galaxy Z Flip 5G | Z Flip
[January 16] Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are collecting the One UI 5.1 Camera Controller zoom feature along with January 2023 security patch.
[January 15] Samsung Game Launcher app reportedly received One UI 5.1-inspired user interface tweaks along with a handful of nifty features.
[January 13] Samsung allegedly begins One UI 5.1 firmware testing on the Galaxy A73 5G and Galaxy A53 5G smartphones.
[January 09] Samsung has started internally testing the One UI 5.1 update for the Galaxy S20 smartphone in India, the test build carries version number – G980FXXUFHWA1.
Aside from this, the company is testing the upcoming One UI version on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4, S22 series and S20 FE.
[January 04] Samsung begins testing a new One UI 5.1 build on the Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone in the Indian market. Read more here…
[January 02] Samsung reportedly starts One UI 5.1 update testing on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable smartphone in South Korea. Read more here…
[December 26] Samsung accidentally released three new app updates namely Messages, Health and AR Zone extracted from the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Since the Galaxy S23 smartphones run new One UI 5.1 software, the apps already gain compatibility so can continue to run seamlessly.
[December 26] Leakster Ahmed Qwaider claims to have official confirmation that the Galaxy S23 Ultra runs Android 13-based One UI 5.1 software. However, the tipster didn’t mention S23 and S23 Plus, but both of these siblings will have the same software.
[December 19] Tipster revealed that the Galaxy S23 series announcement could be delayed to mid to late February as Samsung is confused about finalizing prices.
Features Wishlist [Updated Jan. 15]
1. Battery Widgets
During the showcase event of One UI 5.0, Samsung teased new battery widgets, which didn’t come with the Stable Android 13 update so far. The new widgets are quite similar to the ones we can see in iOS and Stock Android, containing battery status of all connected devices including watch, and buds.
- We guess those new widgets will be available for consumers with the One UI 5.1 update.
2. Multi-user profiles
Samsung enabled multi-user profiles features during the One UI 5 Beta testing for Galaxy S22 series. Due to unknown reasons, the company later announced that the multi-user feature won’t be accessible in next Beta, followed by the Stable build.
- With further optimizations, multi-user feature should come back with One UI 5.1.
3. User interface
One UI 5.0 update is all about new customization options and tools for Galaxy devices. Since the update is widely available for Galaxy consumers, it doesn’t come with noticeable changes in the user interface. The company impressively tweaked the stock app icons, but, other key elements remain the same as One UI 4.1.
Before the One UI 6, Samsung should bring some changes to its traditional quick settings, notification panel, and volume adjustment UI sections with the next One UI 5.1 build. The chances of major UI changes are quite low, still we hope, Samsung may bring some cosmetic changes.
One UI 5.0 Quick Settings
4. Camera features
The Galaxy S23 Ultra reportedly uses a 200MP primary camera sensor, and Samsung developed 12.5MP, 50MP and 200MP camera modes for photography. In some cases, the Samsung Camera app lags behind Google Camera, which should be fixed with the One UI 5.1.
Astrophotography on Galaxy is possible on Galaxy S22 series, thanks to the Expert RAW camera app. However, the availability of this app is limited, which disappoints consumers of Galaxy S21, Note 20 and S20 series smartphones. The company should bring some notable advancements to the Stock Camera app.
5. System improvements
The South Korean tech giant impressively deployed the Android 13 update for Galaxy devices, and the rollout is likely to finish before the year ends. Still, the One UI 5.0 software needs some optimization with Galaxy hardware and the Android operating system.
Material You Dynamic Theming still works better on Pixel devices, while the system animations and visual effects can be further improved with the One UI 5.1. Pixel Feature Drop updates brought a lot of new features such as Clear Calling, therefore, Samsung users want better treatment from the vendor.
Leaked Features
The Pontifical Swiss Guard (Guardia Svizzera Pontificia or GSP) is tasked with protecting the Pope and the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, which is visited by an average of 25,000 tourists per day. But, do you know why the Pope and Vatican City’s Swiss Guards use Samsung Galaxy?
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The name “Swiss” is attached to the name of the Vatican Guard, which has been protecting the Pope in the Vatican since the Renaissance in 1506. In the past, the Pope was protected with a spear, but now the Vatican Guard has modernized its tactics and technology and built a digital security system.
In this new environment, the Swiss Guard chose “Knox Suite”, a powerful mobile device management platform developed by Samsung for Galaxy devices. System administrators of the Pontifical Guard can remotely monitor and manage the location of all security devices, as well as remotely wipe data if a device is lost or stolen.
When a security threat is expected, the info can be shared in real-time on multiple devices owned by the Swiss Guards, and the patrol leader can check the deployment status of all members at a glance, which is effective in responding to emergency situations.
The Swiss Guards considered security as the top priority but also considered the durability of the product as important. Samsung’s rugged Galaxy devices, which focus on robustness, are IP68 rated, protecting devices from water and dust, and are resistant to tolerable shocks.
The Galaxy Tab Active 2 has improved touch feeling while wearing gloves considering the uniform of the guards, and the battery lasts for a long time and can be easily replaced, which is essential in emergency situations.
And the Galaxy Tab Active 3 is equipped with a high-resolution display and special keys for immediate access at important moments, such as ‘Push to Talk’, a radio communication method.
In addition, Samsung DeX, which provides an experience as if using a PC when connected to a monitor or TV, also supports work convenience. Lastly, the fact that you can receive continuous support in case of product problems has also become a reason for being chosen by the Swiss Guard with a history of hundreds of years.
Counterpoint Research recently published a new report on the Global smartphone OS (Android, iOS) market share in Q4, 2022. The analysis shows that Samsung-led Android’s reach is declining in the market, helping Apple’s iOS to grow and Huawei’s HarmonyOS to emerge on the chart.
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In Q4, 2022, the global smartphone market declined by 14 percent YoY, and iOS emerged as a new player seizing the downfall to just 12 percent YoY, compared to Android’s 16 percent. Do note that Apple was the biggest smartphone seller in the fourth quarter of last year, beating the overall leader Samsung.
Global OS Market Android iOS Highlights
- Q4 OS Market Share –
- Android – 76 percent
- iOS – 22 percent
- HarmonyOS – 2 percent
- The iOS’ market share reached a record high in Q4 2022
- Apple received a boost from the launch of the iPhone 14 series
- Decline in global smartphone sale shifting market share between iOS and Android
- Global OS market was constantly changing in 2022, with iOS gaining & Android ceding ground
Android
As per the recent report from Counterpoint Research, Android has surrendered its ground to Apple’s iOS in the fourth quarter of 2022. High sales of iPhones and the declining market of Samsung and other Android vendors are the key factors behind Android’s decline.
iOS
Apple’s reach is expanding in key markets including India and China in the premium segment. As more and more people prefer upgrading to iPhone, it naturally benefits iOS. The report also shows that Huawei’s decline in China is helping Apple to grab the vacant market over Android vendors.
HarmonyOS
Analysts at Counterpoint revealed that the China-exclusive HarmonyOS accounted for 2 percent of the global smartphone OS market. However, Huawei’s own-grown operating system is an 8 percent shareholder in the Chinese OS market.
Global Market – Q4, 2022
Samsung was the market leader in the overall 2022 smartphone sales (source), but Apple led the Q4 period. In the fourth quarter of last year, Samsung’s share dropped by 15.4 percent YoY, while Apple grew by a sizzling 41.6 percent QoQ, thanking the new iPhone 14 series.
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Samsung uses Google’s Android operating system in Galaxy devices that are keeping the OS alive against growing iOS and arising HarmonyOS. In the fourth quarter of last year, worldwide smartphone sales declined by 14 percent year-over-year, which would have surely affected OS rankings.
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Counterpoint Research report shows that Apple’s iOS outperformed the overall market, facing a 12 percent year-over-year decline, while Android OS faced a 16 percent decline in the fourth quarter of 2022. It’s worth mentioning that Apple surpassed Samsung in the Q4 market, and it radically affected Android’s share.
Going further with the analysis, iOS expanded to a record high in the last three months of 2022. The company got benefited following the launch of its iPhone 14 series, which directly boosted the expansion of its iOS software in the global market.
Android vendors other than Samsung also have tiny slices of the global market share, but they can’t save the OS. The South Korean tech giant sells the highest number of phones, and all are equipped with the Android OS. The report shows what everyone knows – if Samsung falls, Android falls.
“The global smartphone OS market was constantly changing in 2022, with iOS gaining and Android ceding ground,” cites Counterpoint Research.
The report further points out that challenging conditions in China due to COVID disruptions and macroeconomic headwinds are the key factors that are harming Android’s share in the market. At the same time, Huawei’s decline in the Chinese premium phone market somehow helped Apple to expand iOS.
Talking about the arising HarmonyOS, Huawei’s Android clone has captured a 2 percent share in the global smartphone OS market since its availability is limited to China with an 8 percent share in the country. As consumers prefer buying premium phones, Apple is gaining a share in both smartphone and OS markets.