In recent years, Samsung has taken its time updating its mobile product stack to new versions of Android, but not to the same extent as LG. Last month’s One UI 5 release schedule implied that this would also be the case for Android 13, with Samsung giving itself until February 2023 to be done with the Galaxy A03, Galaxy A03 and Galaxy A04.
So far, Samsung has stuck to its schedule, although it brought One UI 5 to a few devices a month early. For example, the Android 13-based update has now reached the Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3, as well as the Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE. According to Sally Hyesoon Jeong, vice president of Android Framework R&D at Samsung, the company plans to accelerate the rollout of One UI 5 by up to two months.
Speaking to SamMobile, the VP explained that Samsung now prioritizes speed when distributing major OS updates while maintaining reliability. Recent issues with the Galaxy Watch4 series suggest that Samsung should be leaning into the latter rather than relying on speed, with a recent update that permanently crashes the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic units with every reboot. If Samsung manages to update all eligible devices to One UI 5 by the end of next month, it would be one of the first Android OEMs to do so, except for Google.
Before writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies, including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a law degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.
