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The Galaxy S20 signified Samsung's renewed focus on innovating and the ensuing months have given us plenty to believe that the company is committed to this vision. The Galaxy S22 is the company's latest and greatest, and if you sat out the S21, it's probably already enticing you to ditch your S20. Should you though?
Samsung is gearing up to surprise Galaxy S20 owners with a major One UI 5 update
The 2020 flagship series may pick up One UI 5.1 in the future
Last year, Samsung promised to release up to four generations of Android OS upgrades for its recent Galaxy smartphones, ranging from the Galaxy S22 series to the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy Tab S8 lineup. For the Galaxy S20 series, it meant that Android 13 would be its final update, as it was supposed to receive three OS upgrades. The South Korean tech giant appears to be cooking up some surprises for Galaxy S20 owners, as Samsung has been spotted testing a major version of One UI 5 for the 2020 flagship lineup.
Samsung's self-repair program is live starting with Galaxy S20 and S21 parts
You can order replacement displays, back glass, and charging ports directly from Samsung or iFixit
The Right to Repair movement scored a major victory last year when Apple announced its Self Service Repair program. Four months later, Samsung followed suit with its Self-Repair initiative in partnership with iFixit, though it never mentioned precise details on pricing and parts availability. The repair program is officially launching in the United States today, with the Korean giant sharing all the essential details on how you can fix your Galaxy device yourself.
Samsung Expert RAW app support for Galaxy S20 Ultra and older flagships delayed
Galaxy phones will get a couple of handy new features, though
The stock camera app on Samsung's Galaxy phones is packed with features including a Pro mode. For users who want even more control, though, the company has its Expert RAW app that packs a comprehensive suite of in-camera editing tools to deliver a DSLR-like experience. The app initially debuted with last year's Galaxy S21 Ultra before it appeared on all Galaxy S22 series devices as well as the Z Fold3 this year. The app was meant to arrive for the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Note20 Ultra, and Z Fold2 by the end of June, but that did not happen. The Korean giant has now detailed the reason behind the delay while also announcing two new features for Expert RAW.
Samsung Galaxy S20 displays are mysteriously failing
Lines of dead pixels are streaking down the screens of some Galaxy S20s
Samsung phones usually have excellent displays, but that doesn't mean they're perfect. Last year we learned about a spate of dying Galaxy S20 screens, where the phone would show a green tint and have visible lines running across it. We hoped that would have been the end of things, but now, less than a year later, another display problem seems to be affecting some unlucky Galaxy S20 phones.
Samsung’s February 2022 security patch starts arriving for more phones in the US
Now available for the Verizon Tab S7 and S7+
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Samsung is no stranger to speedy update rollouts. The company started releasing the February 2022 security patch to eligible devices internationally at the tail end of last month, and we've already seen the likes of the Galaxy Note20, Galaxy S20 series, and Galaxy A50s receive the new software. Now the update's hitting the US, beginning with Note10 carrier models.
Samsung shipped millions of smartphones with a serious security flaw
At least your new Galaxy S22 is safe
Samsung tends to be vigilant about updating security on its devices, but no phone manufacturer is perfect, and sometimes the problems stay very well-hidden. One issue that shipped with some major models didn't become public until recently, and anyone who owns certain Galaxy phones could have fallen prey to the exploit and never realized it.
Samsung's January 2022 security update is arriving for more phones internationally
Now available for the Galaxy A51 5G and several other A series phones
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Samsung used to be one of the worst companies when it comes to updates. Back in the TouchWiz days, software support for Samsung phones was absolutely abysmal. But the arrival of One UI saw a change of direction for the company, currently promising up to 3 years of major updates and 5 years of security patches — and actually doing a decent-ish job at rolling them out in a timely manner. Now Samsung's saying "happy New Year" a little early as the first January 2022 security patches for its phones (and specifically, for the Galaxy A51) start becoming available.
Samsung's January 2022 security update is arriving for more phones in the US
Now available for the T-Mobile Galaxy Note10 and Verizon Tab S7+
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Samsung's been doing its part to earn a reputation for delivering regular, reliable updates for all its phones, flagship and budget alike. That continues today as the unlocked Galaxy S21 series receives the January 2022 security patch, only a few days after international models.
Samsung's December 2021 security patch spreads to more Galaxy phones internationally
Now available for the Galaxy Tab S5e
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It's not quite December yet, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from starting to update the first of its devices with the new December 2021 security patch. Kicking things off this week are the Galaxy Z Flip3 and Fold3 running their latest One UI 4 beta.
Smartphone cameras have come a long way over the last decade. Thanks to bigger and better sensors and computational photography, they can take stunning photos even in near-complete darkness. The improvements are not just limited to photos, though, as the video recording quality has also seen a dramatic improvement. Apart from better quality and 4K resolution, most smartphones nowadays can also shoot HDR videos. Samsung's latest mid-range and premium phones can record videos in HDR10+, offering a better dynamic range and colors.
Samsung’s speed with the rollout of One UI 4 based on Android 12 has been nothing short of impressive. This year, the company managed to kickstart beta programs across all its big flagship smartphone lines — the Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Z Fold series — a feat it's never achieved before. It went on to release the stable update for devices like the Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Flip3, and Galaxy Z Fold3 (but not without a few hiccups), and now the S20 and Note20 series are joining the party.
Samsung's November 2021 security update is hitting more devices in the US
Now available for the Galaxy Note9 from Verizon
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Put those pumpkins away and bring out your string lights, because it's finally November. That frosty chill in the air doesn't just mean the holiday season is on the way — it also means it's time for another round of updates from Samsung. A week after international patches arrived on phones, the first set of devices is receiving new software stateside.
Samsung's November 2021 security patch is now hitting even more Galaxy phones internationally
The Galaxy A71 5G is the latest in line
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As we draw closer to the end of another month, Samsung is once again releasing its next Android security patch just a little bit early. The company is kicking off November patch distribution with the international Galaxy S21 series, starting in Germany.
Samsung One UI 4 beta rollout continues with the Galaxy Note20 series in the US
Look for an official release sometime in January
Ever since September, Samsung has been relentlessly beta testing its Android 12-powered One UI 4 update. It began with the S21 series and has continued with models like the Z Fold3, Z Flip3, and the S20 line of phones. Now Samsung's opening things up even further, extending its beta to Note20 and additional S20 users in the US.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 gets a taste of Android 12 with first One UI 4 beta
Android 12 for the S20 masses
Android 12 is out, which means it's time for OEMs to publish their own updates. And Samsung has been hard at work at that with One UI 4, its own flavor of Android 12. A handful of its phones have already gotten their beta updates, starting with the Galaxy S21 series and the Galaxy Z Flip3 and the Z Fold3. But Samsung's older flagships deserve love, too. The company has now released the first One UI 4 beta for the Galaxy S20 series.
It's not the first time we're hearing about display issues on Samsung phones, but it seems to be the first such instance for the Galaxy S20 series. Several owners have taken to the internet to complain about a display problem that's rendering their phones useless.
Samsung rolling out February security patch to Galaxy S9 outside the US
The update is also showing up on more Galaxy S21 phones
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Even though each Android security update has a specific month in the name, the patches are usually provided to manufacturers a week or two in advance, so phone makers can have the system upgrades ready in time (or not). Samsung has been known to pull the switch before the first day of a given month, and that's happening again for the February 2021 patches.
Samsung's trade-in values are outrageously generous for S20 owners
$700 is more than the smaller S20 is actually worth if you sold it yourself
There's a little tip making the rounds today: If you pick up a used Galaxy S20 somewhere like Swappa or eBay, where they run around $500, you can get yourself a brand new Galaxy S21 for just 0 more. That's because Samsung's trade-in values for the smaller Galaxy S20 are outrageous, earning you $700 toward an $800 phone.
The T-Mobile Galaxy S20 Android 11 rollout has been resumed
The update originally followed hot on the heels of the Verizon variant
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T-Mobile subscribers with a Galaxy S20 were supposed to be next in line for the Android 11 upgrade following the Verizon rollout, but it looks like T-Mobile's variant ran into some issues that required the carrier to pause the update. We initially received reports of the new software version coming to multiple people over the last week, corroborated by TmoNews, but now T-Mobile's update page states that the update has been halted.