Samsung could be launching its Android 12 beta for the Galaxy S21 soon

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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Image credit: Hayato Huseman / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • The Galaxy S21 Ultra has appeared on Geekbench running Android 12.
  • Performance seems to be better than the same device running Android 11.
  • Samsung has also started updating its own apps to support Android 12.

Yesterday we saw the release of Android 12 Beta 4.1 as the final release gets closer. Today, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has appeared on Geekbench running a version of Android 12, likely to be based on One UI 4.0. This comes as Samsung has started updating some of its own Galaxy Store apps with support for Android 12.

Last month, Samsung started teasing the One UI 4.0 beta program, based on Android 12, to owners of the Galaxy S21 series. This beta program will not begin until sometime in September, but with these Geekbench results, it's clear that someone out there is already running the One UI 4.0 beta.

Source: Geekbench

What's rather interesting about the Geekbench results, is that when they are compared to a Galaxy S21 Ultra running Android 11, the performance seems to be slightly improved. This could be due to software optimizations that Samsung is implementing, paired with the same changes being made by Google with Android 12.

We still don't know exactly what Samsung's implementation of Android 12 will look like. However, it's expected to bring an improved interface, so here's to hoping that Samsung brings Material You to the some of the best Android phones with One UI 4.0.

One Hand Operation Samsung Android 12 Update

Source: Android Central (Image credit: Source: Android Central)

Additionally, we have found that the One Hand Operation+ app in the Galaxy Store has been updated today. Along with your traditional bug fixes, the changelog states that the app now includes support for Android 12. This just shows that Samsung is beginning to work on updates to ensure that its own apps will work with the next version of Android ahead of the beta program.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Black
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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

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If you don't want to mess around with foldable phones, then the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best Android phone available. Samsung's likely to bring Android 12 in the coming months, and the Galaxy S21 series could be among the first to receive the update.

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Andrew Myrick
Andrew Myrick
Senior Editor — Smartphones (North America), Chromebooks & Tablets

Andrew Myrick is a Senior Editor at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer.