Shortly after the Android 11 announcement in September, Samsung unveiled its One UI 3.0 software skin. The third iteration of its software would bring refreshment for its smartphones along with the latest Android flavor version. Not long after its announcement, the brand started beta programs for several devices. Now, we’re in 2021 and many Samsung flagships already have stable One UI 3.0 updates. However, with the advent of the Galaxy S21 series, the brand introduced One UI 3.1 which serves as an incremental upgrade over the vanilla One UI 3.0. While many devices are still getting the vanilla version, Samsung is already bringing One UI 3.1 to select devices. Today, the Galaxy S20 FE is the company’s latest smartphone to receive One UI 3.1.
One UI 3.1 update is coming for the Galaxy S20 FE 5G variant
The Galaxy Tab S7 devices were the first to get the new incremental update. Now, it is reaching the global 5G variant of the Galaxy S20 FE with model number SM-G782B across multiple European countries. The software bears version number G781BXXU2CUB5 and brings a bunch of new features that made their debut with the Galaxy S21 series. Thankfully, Samsung has been kind enough to include the latest February 2021 security patch in this update.
An interesting fact is that the new update includes a new bootloader. The company didn’t change the underlying bootloader with the Android 11 update. However, it has added a new bootloader build (v2) with this update. In simple words, a new bootloader means that there is no more possible to revert back to an older firmware via manual flashing.
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The update is rolling out for the said device in certain European countries. It may arrive via OTA, but don’t hold your breath for it. It is rolling out in a gradual manner, so it can take a couple of days to reach all devices. You can head over to the Software Update section in the Settings App to check if the new build is available for your device or not.
Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t reveal a timeline for OneUI 3.1 rollout for other devices. However, we can expect the last year’s flagships to receive it in the coming months. The Galaxy S20 FE was one of the company’s best-selling flagships last year, so there is no surprise to see it among the first devices to get One UI 3.1.
As far as the regular Android 11 update is concerned, Samsung is expanding the rollout for mid-range smartphones. After bringing the update to the Galaxy M31, the brand already has the Galaxy A51, XCover Pro, Galaxy M31s, and many others running the base One UI 3.0 version.
