3.1 UI debuted with the Galaxy S21 series and was later introduced in the Galaxy Tab S7 / S7 + and Galaxy S20 FE via a firmware update (although Samsung has decided to pull the plug from the S20 FE version, presumably due to of one or more bugs that went unnoticed during testing). The good news is that Samsung is now ready to bring One UI 3.1 to the masses and push the upgrade to more Galaxy devices.
Samsung has confirmed that the One UI 3.1 update based on Android 11 will be available for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 20, and Galaxy Note 10 series, as well as for Galaxy A71, Galaxy A51, A90, A80, A70, and Galaxy A50 phones mid-range starting today. It has also been confirmed that all of the company’s foldable devices, including the original Galaxy Fold, the sequel to the Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip, will soon receive One UI 3.1.
How soon, you ask? Well, the rollout window will vary by region and device, but Samsung says One UI 3.1 will hit the waves starting today, February 18th, so with any luck, all of the above phones will use One UI 3.1 by the end of the month or even before the end of the week, although Samsung will likely want to gradually release firmware from one Galaxy model to another rather than updating them all at once.
Not all One UI 3.1 / Galaxy S21 features are available for existing devices?
Samsung says the update will bring some of the new Galaxy S21 camera features to the Galaxy S20, including improved Single Take and Object Eraser. Unfortunately, features like Zoom Lock and Director’s View are not mentioned, although the former was available on the Galaxy S20 FE update which has been retired.
The integration of Google Discover on the home screen is also not mentioned, only minor features like the ability to delete location data before sharing images and securely share files via Private Share.
In terms of functionality, One UI 3.1 offers an improved Single Take function that captures a variety of photo and video formats simultaneously, with a single tap.
A new object-erase tool is available to easily erase unwanted parts of photos without requiring time for manual editing. The Android-based One UI 3.1 also offers improved tactile autofocus and an auto-exposure controller.
Samsung has also introduced a new multi-microphone recording feature that allows users to simultaneously record audio via smartphones and connected Bluetooth audio devices such as Galaxy Buds Pro or Buds Live while using Pro Video mode. The Gallery app is getting improvements that allow users to seamlessly save and browse files.
In terms of productivity, One UI 3.1’s new Eye Comfort Shield mode automatically adjusts the blue light based on the time of day. There is a private sharing feature to remove metadata from files, which prevents location data from being displayed through shared photos.
One UI 3.0 was first introduced last year with the Galaxy S20 series. The One UI version based on Android 11 has started rolling out to a large number of mid-range and premium Galaxy phones.
How To Download One UI 3.1
Samsung smartphone users will automatically receive the OneUI 3.1 update based on Android 11 when it becomes available in their region. Customers can still manually check for availability by going to Settings> Software Update> Download and Install.
