In less than two days, Samsung will unveil its 2024 flagships — theGalaxy S24 series— at its firstUnpacked event of the year. Besides the new phones, the company is expected to announce a new version ofOne UI 6. Based on all the leaks, One UI 6.1 could pack many usability and AI-centric features. The upcoming version of Samsung’s Android skin will also make its way to its older premium devices, and it appears the company is hard at work on this with test One UI 6.1 builds spotted for several of thebest Samsung phones.
Samsung enthusiast Tarun Vats (viaSamMobile) claims to have spotted One UI 6.1 test builds on the Korean company’s servers for a bunch of Galaxy devices, including theGalaxy S23, S22, S21,Z Fold 5, Flip 5, and even mid-range phones like the A54 and A34. This does not mean One UI 6.1 will drop for these phones right after the Galaxy S24’s announcement on January 17. The update should arrive for these popular Galaxy phones in the weeks following the S24’s release.
Going by Samsung’s track record, there’s a possibility that One UI 6.1 for the Galaxy S23 and its 2023 foldables will be released around the same time the Galaxy S24’s retail availability starts. This is what has typically happened over the last few years. But since the Galaxy S24 series is launching earlier than any previous Galaxy S flagship, there might be a few weeks delay before One UI 6.1 rolls out to Samsung’s 2023 flagships.
Almost all supported Samsung phones that were updated to One UI 6.0 should also receive the One UI 6.1 update. The timing of the release might vary based on the phone’s age and whether it is a premium device or a mid-ranger.
A report from December 2023 has already detailednew battery longevity options that One UI 6.1might pack. Another recent leakshowed off the additional lock screen customization optionsthe skin could have. There should be some animation-related improvements as well for a smoother user experience.
Samsung One UI 6.1 will apparently also pack many new AI-powered features, as shown off inmany Galaxy S24 leaksin recent weeks. This includes AI-powered auto-formatting in Samsung Notes, generative AI wallpaper, the ability to relocate objects in photos after taking a shot, and more. The Korean giant will likely keep many of these features exclusive to the Galaxy S24. Still, some of them should be available to the Galaxy S23, Fold 5, and Flip 5 with One UI 6.1.
