Carrier variants of the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra carry the firmware version G99xUSQS4AUIN on networks like Xfinity Mobile and Comcast. Unlocked variants of the devices get the firmware version G99xU1UES4AUIN. The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra bring the firmware version G98xU1UES2DUI5. SamMobile reports that the update is available across all US carriers. This includes Verizon, T-Mobile, C-Spire, Bluegrass Cellular, Comcast, Sprint, and Tracfone. The documentation attached with the changelog mentions that the update addresses over 60 security and privacy-related issues on the devices. The usual suite of bug fixes and stability improvements are included as well.
A handful of Samsung’s flagships received the October 2021 security update late last month
American customers of the Galaxy S20 or Galaxy S21 series can install the update by heading over to Settings – Software Update – Download and install. Samsung has significantly improved its pace of security updates for smartphones. The Galaxy S21 series received the October security update towards the end of September. However, the rollout was limited to markets like the Philippines and Germany. Phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, and the Galaxy Note 20 also got the October security update in late September. The Korean manufacturer has consistently been the first among Android OEMs to release security updates for its phones, and the trend doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Samsung is developing a major One UI refresh based on Android 12. Its flagship phones could get the new One UI 4.0 update before the end of the year. But the company’s mid-range and older phones may have to wait longer. The second One UI 4.0 beta for the Galaxy S21 series came out last week. In addition to the heaps of fixes and improvements, this beta also introduces dynamic coloring to One UI 4.0. This is a core Android 12 feature based on Google’s Monet theme engine.
