Google pushed the operating system to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) in early September. A month later, it released the OS for all compatible Pixel phones paving the way for all Android manufacturers to follow.
Hot on the heels of Google, Samsung has also started rolling out the Android 12 update for its Galaxy devices. The highlight of Android 12 is Google’s new Material You design language, under the hood performance improvements, new animations, a wallpaper-based theming engine, and privacy enhancements.
Below is everything you need to know about Samsung’s Android 12 update schedule, the compatible Galaxy devices, and more.
Android 12 + One UI 4
Samsung is integrating the fourth major iteration of its Android skin—One UI 4—with the Android 12 update for its Galaxy devices. While the Korean smartphone giant has included almost all the new Android 12 features in One UI 4, it has done by adding its own twist. You can read about all the new One UI 4 features and improvements here.
Samsung has been running a One UI 4/Android 12 beta program for the Galaxy S21 series even before the official release of the OS from Google. This allowed the company to roll out the official Android 12 update for the Galaxy S21 series just a month after Google officially released Android 12.
This is the least amount of time that Samsung has taken so far to update its flagship device to the latest version of Android.
When Will Your Galaxy Phone Get One UI 4 and Android 12?
Apart from the Galaxy S21 series, Samsung has already revealed which Galaxy devices are on the Android 12 update list. It is also running a One UI 4 beta program for some of the devices mentioned below.
December 2021
Galaxy S21 (Update already live) Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S21 Ultra Galaxy Z Fold2 5G/LTE (Beta available) Galaxy Z Flip3 (Update already live) Galaxy Fold3 5G (Update already live)
January 2022
Galaxy S20 series (Beta available) Galaxy S20 FE Note20 series (Beta available) S10 series, S10 5G (Beta available) Note10 and Note10+ (Beta available) Fold Z and Z Fold 2 (Beta available) Z Flip 5G (Beta available) Galaxy A82 5G
February 2022
Galaxy Tab S7+ and S7, S7 FE Galaxy A52 and A52s 5G Galaxy A72
April 2022
Galaxy A32 Galaxy A51 Galaxy A71 Galaxy F62 Galaxy Tab S7 FE
May 2022
Galaxy A22 5G Galaxy A31 Galaxy F22 Galaxy F42 5G Galaxy M21 Galaxy M31/M31s Galaxy M32/M32 5G Galaxy M42 5G Galaxy M52 5G Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
The above is just an estimated release timeline shared by Samsung. The actual Android12/One UI 4 rollout will depend on your region and device. Samsung is giving priority to its recent flagship and foldable devices for the Android 12 update, with its mid-range devices on track to receive the update after a couple of quarters.
What’s New in One UI 4?
There are several new features in One UI 4, though they might not be immediately apparent. The biggest is the introduction of a wallpaper-based theming engine, but since it is based on Samsung’s proprietary system, it does not work with third-party apps.
There are new revamped widgets and system animations as well. The share menu, camera app, and several system apps have also been enhanced for better usability.
Android 12 is a big update, but that’s for Pixel devices. While Samsung has incorporated most of the new Android 12 features in One UI 4, it is not as big of an update as the company has focused on improving usability and further refining its skin. That’s not really a bad thing, especially if you are a long-time One UI user, as you’ll appreciate these minor improvements.
