What you need to know
- A rumor suggests Samsung is preparing to roll out its One UI 6.1 update to several midranges later in May.
- The update is said to arrive for the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy A53, and A54 on May 14 in Canada, following an apparent release in Korea and Europe first.
- Speculation suggests users shouldn't expect many Galaxy AI features as the S21 FE may only pick up Circle to Search.
Whispers are cropping up about Samsung's next major release of One UI 6.1 to a few of its older generation devices later this month.
The rumor stems from X leaker TheOneCID, who states the One UI 6.1 update is preparing to arrive on the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy A53, and A54 in May (via Android Police). They add that the update could arrive on May 14 in Canada, though that is its expected date after an expected international rollout.
It's assumed that Samsung could start updating these older devices in South Korea and Europe sometime before that date.
Comments dipped into discussions about which features these devices would pick up, and it seems the Galaxy S21 FE is only in line for one. Speculation states the old budget device could pick up Google's Circle to Search as its only Galaxy AI-oriented feature. It's worth remembering that Samsung mentioned how hardware-heavy its Galaxy AI features are, so that's likely factoring into these suspicions.
It doesn't seem as though Samsung will bring any Galaxy AI tools to its mid-range devices. As the publication noted, One UI 6.1 contained enhancements beyond on-device AI, like battery controls, usability improvements, and more, to smoothen its software.
It's still early, so we'll have to wait and see exactly what Samsung has in store for these older budget devices.
BREAKING‼️One UI 6.1 for S21 FE, A53, A54 in CANADA𝗠𝗔𝗬 𝟭𝟰 🎉🎉I know a lot have been asking non-stop for this so here it is 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/SdVCNfdzKVMay 3, 2024
While Samsung's older mid-range device owners wait for One UI 6.1, those with a Galaxy S22 are still waiting. The company had to reportedly pause its rollout of the update on the series due to some severe screen glitches. The problems were said to have locked users out of their devices as the screen turned white and remained that way.
It seems that a few older devices like the Galaxy S21, Flip 4, and Fold 4 have taken the update without issue. So, for now, the Galaxy S22 is back in the waiting room as Samsung sorts out the unruly problems. The Galaxy S23 encountered some display problems, however, those followed after its One UI 6.1 update due to an apparent problem with Google Discover.
Samsung started rolling out its Galaxy AI-packed One UI software to a few past-gen devices toward the end of March. The number of features may vary, but those that can handle it picked up Circle to Search, Live Translate, Chat Assist, and Generative Edit.
