The Samsung S10 series has run out of options. Together with a few other 2019 products, Samsung has discontinued the S10 series.
Samsung has removed several of its older handsets from its public security update page, as 9to5Google has discovered. The Galaxy S10 series, Galaxy A30, and Galaxy A50 were among the gadgets taken out. The Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy S10 Lite, on the other hand, have not been dropped. They haven’t been discontinued because those devices came out later, which is why.
This development happens as Samsung starts to put its new update strategy into practice. The business declared last year that it would extend its policy by a year, offering its phones five years of security upgrades and four years of significant OS changes. Nevertheless, the Galaxy S21 series and later were the only models covered by this regulation, leaving older models out.
The security update from March 2023 was the last one that the Galaxy S10 and other discontinued phones were supposed to receive. This update just recently went live. This upgrade is crucial following the disclosure of a serious vulnerability in Samsung’s Exynos chip by Google’s Project Zero team. The Galaxy S10 series was not, however, mentioned as being impacted by this issue.
Along with this information, it appears that the Galaxy Z Flip is no longer receiving monthly upgrades. It now only receives updates once every three months.
Let’s start this brand-new week off by compiling a list of apps from the Google Play Store that are only accessible for a short period of time. You can find special offers for paid apps on this page without spending a dime.
Please be aware that although these apps are currently free, they may become paid by the time you read this post or attempt to download them because we are unsure of when these offers will expire. Because there is no predetermined duration for app promotions on the Google Play Store, bargains may be pulled just as quickly as they were published, which is terrible.
Here’s a good tip: If you see an app or game on our list that interests you but isn’t currently necessary, think about installing it and then removing it from your smartphone. This will add it to your app library so you may install it again whenever you need it in the future. It’s a fantastic technique to fully benefit from transient promotions.
Android apps for productivity and lifestyle
Pro MP3 Player QAMP[4.5-stars / $1.19]: Another versatile MP3 player just in case you want to spruce up your options.
Flashcards Club[3.9-stars / $3.99]: Create flashcards on the move with this app for easy teaching and learning.
500X Game Booster Pro[4.2-stars / $0.49]: Do you think your smartphone has what it takes to work to its maximum? Perhaps this app will be able to help you push out every single drop of performance.
Android games
Peppa Pig: Theme Park[3.9-stars / $3.99]: Let Peppa Pig keep your little ones entertained at a nearby theme park.
Concrete Defense 1940[4.0-stars / $0.99]: A tower defense title that takes place during World War II, so expect to see some old-school weaponry in action.
Shadow Knight: Ninja Fighting[4.4-stars / $0.99]: Do you want to earn the Shadow Legends title? Fight your way through hordes of enemies.
Defense Zone 3 Ultra HD[4.7-stars / $2.99]: Tower defense never looked so good on Android with this futuristic-looking title.
The Enchanted Worlds[4.4-stars / $2.99]: Find out uncle Henry’s secrets in this unique puzzle adventure title.
Angular Velocity Full[4.3-stars / $0.99]: In a physics-based world, the grappling hook is your only means of getting around. Will you swing correctly?
The Japanese giant Sony may have decreased its expectations for its mobile business, but that doesn’t imply it has ceased making new devices. We’re getting fewer phones every year because Sony had to reduce its mobile division in response to the strong competition on the smartphone market.
Positively, it should make it possible for Sony to deliver Android OS updates considerably more quickly than in the past. Sadly, that doesn’t always happen, but at least devoted followers continue to receive updates on occasion.
Sony has made some work on updating all of its eligible phones to Android 13, although some devices are still awaiting the upgrade. Up until recently, one of those gadgets was the Xperia 10 III. According to XDA Developers, the Sony Xperia 10 III is currently receiving an upgrade with firmware version 62.2.A.0.367 in a few European and Asian nations.
The global dual-SIM (XQ-BT52) is eligible for this update, although release dates in various areas might vary. There are a lot more updates coming to the phone, but the changelog verifies that the upgrade includes the January 2023 security patch.
For instance, Sony Xperia 10 III devices will soon have a new lock screen, a brand-new Quick setting panel, and various improvements to the Camera app. Be sure to read Sony’s summary of some of the changes included in the Android 13 release.
The Xperia 10 III’s excellent 6-inch OLED display, which supports HDR and 1B colors, makes it one of the most intriguing mid-range smartphones on the market. The Xperia 10 III, which was first released in 2021, is quite likely to get one more significant Android OS update before Sony stops supporting the device.
If you plan to upgrade your Xperia 10 III to Android 13, keep in mind that your user data shouldn’t be affected by the software update. However, going back to a previous software version after upgrading to Android 13 will no longer be possible, at least not through official means.
Snoopy Tech, a Twitter tipster, has published a number of documents that appear to be original Samsung docs. The sites add to the previously disclosed material we revealed in the original post below by listing the complete One UI 5.1 changelog.
The information in the tweets below also includes some existing OneUI 5 features, but the new ones are marked with “5.1” next to their description. Features market with the number “1” are those that’ll be exclusive to the Galaxy S23 series, S21 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra, S20 Ultra, Z Fold 4, Z Fold 3, and Z Fold 2.
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 devices with OneUI 5.1 will go on sale. Older Galaxy flagships are also anticipated to receive the new software, although initially, it appears that the Galaxy S23 series will get some special features.
The new OneUI 5.1 features and updates are now clear to us thanks to a thorough leak from WinFuture. Instead of making substantial design modifications, the program will introduce a variety of functional enhancements. The entire OneUI 5.1 changelog has been placed at the end of this article. Let’s discuss some of the most noticeable modifications that the new software is expected to make for the time being.
What’s new?
With OneUI 5.1, the Gallery app is expected to receive the most new features. Now, you may share albums with your loved ones. By utilizing AI to recognize family members’ faces, the app will suggest images to add to your family albums. For what it’s worth, this function is already available in Google Photos. Up to six family members will each receive 5GB of free media storage from Samsung.
Additionally, the Gallery app’s search function is getting more practical. Now, you can look up multiple people at once. Instead of utilizing their tagged names, you may also search for people by looking up their faces.
With the Effects button on the side of the screen in the Camera app, OneUI 5.1 will make it simple to alter the color of selfies. The Advanced menu now makes it simple to use the Expert RAW app as well.
With OneUI 5.1, the AR Emoji Camera also gains greater functionality. Now, you can use Mask mode to take pictures of up to three people and swap out their faces for emojis.
OneUI 5.1 also has a new battery widget. From your home screen, you can check the battery life of your phone and any Galaxy devices that are connected to it, including your Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds, and more.
Depending on the phone mode you’ve selected, you can also set alternative backgrounds for the lock screen and home screen. As a result, by selecting several modes, you can have various backdrops for business, sports, and more.
If you’re migrating from an earlier Galaxy or another Android phone, one Galaxy S23-only feature will make it simpler to set up your new phone. By scanning a QR code on your previous device, it uses Bluetooth Low energy to assist you in moving your Wi-Fi networks, Samsung account, and Google account to the new device. According to the source, the Galaxy S23 series will have “AI Restoration,” another new OneUI 5.1 feature. It isn’t specifically mentioned in the changelog, though.
One UI 5.1 features
Camera
Changing the hue for a selfie just got easier: Easily change the hue of your selfies with the Effects button on the side of the screen.
Quick access to Expert RAW: The Expert RAW app allows you to capture high-quality images without any processing or compression, perfect for those who want to edit their photos later. Accessing Expert RAW is now easier from the Advanced menu.
Gallery
Common family album: With Shared Family Album, sharing photos with your family is easier than ever. Gallery recommends photos to add to your shared family album by recognizing your family members’ faces. You also get 5GB of storage per family member (up to 6 people).
Improved handling: Processing automatically removes shadows and reflections to make your photos look great. You can also recreate GIFs for better resolution and clarity.
Convenient information display: If you swipe up when viewing a picture or video in your gallery, you can see at a glance when and where the picture was taken, on which device, where it’s stored, and more.
Search has become more powerful: You can now search for more than one person or item at a time. You can even search for people without tagging their names, just by clicking on their faces.
Choose a location to save screenshots: Now you can save screenshots and screen recordings in a folder of your choice by setting it up in the advanced features.
AR Zone and AR Emoji
Use 3 Emojis in AR Emoji Camera: Take fun photos and videos with friends (up to 3 people) in mask mode. You can replace your friends’ faces with other characters by clicking the emoji.
Layout and editing improvements in AR Doodles: The brushes are now available on the main AR Doodle screen for quicker access. You can also resize and move drawings after you create them, and the new eraser tool lets you erase just a portion of your drawings without completely erasing them.
Widgets
New battery widget: With the new battery widget you can check the battery level of your Galaxy devices. Right from the home screen, you can see how much battery your smartphone, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch and other supported devices have left.
Intuitive weather widget: The new illustration style and a summary of the current weather conditions make it easy to know the weather information, whether it’s sunny, cloudy, raining or snowing.
Modes and Scenarios
Different wallpapers depending on the mode: Set different wallpapers on the lock screen and the home screen depending on your current activities. Choose a background for work, one for sport and more by setting different modes.
More conditions and actions for scenarios: Run scripts automatically when you turn on airplane mode or mobile hotspot. Scripts can now open some apps, adjust left/right audio balance, and more. New actions now let you control Quick Share and touch sensitivity, as well as change the ringtone and font style.
Connectivity
Collaboration in Samsung Notes: Create a shared note that multiple people can edit at the same time. Write a report with colleagues, take notes for a study group, or draw a picture with a friend. The possibilities are endless.
Inviting to shared apps made easy: Now you can easily invite people to shared albums, notes, and calendars using a link that can be shared across apps like messenger, email, and social networks.
Advanced multiple controls between Galaxy Book and smartphone: Now you can use your Galaxy Book’s mouse, keyboard, or trackpad not only with your Galaxy tablet, but also with your Galaxy smartphone. You can easily copy and paste text and drag and drop images from one device to another as if it were the same device.
Media output for WiFi speakers: If you want to continue listening to music on Wi-Fi speakers via Spotify Connect and the built-in Chromecast™, simply open the media output from the quick access toolbar, not the music apps.
Continue surfing on the PC: If you surf the Internet on your smartphone with Samsung Internet and then continue browsing on your PC, you can find the websites you opened on your smartphone and continue browsing them with the PC browser.
Samsung Dex
Improved multitasking in DeX: In split screen mode, you can now drag the splitter in the middle of the screen to resize both windows. You can also snap a window to one of its corners so that it takes up a quarter of the screen.
Settings
Settings suggestions: Suggestions are now displayed at the top of the settings screen, letting you know about useful features to try or settings that need your attention so you can enable or try them right away.
Samsung Internet
Improved search: You can now search by folder name in bookmarks or by group name in tabs. Improved search logic allows you to find what you’re looking for, even if something is misspelled.
Setup Wizard
Faster and easier initial setup of your new Galaxy: If you’re switching to a new Galaxy from a Galaxy or other Android device, simply scan the QR code on your old device to automatically migrate your Wi-Fi networks, Samsung account, and Google account to the new one Device to transfer without typing anything.
Weather
Detailed weather information at a glance: Useful weather information is now displayed on the main screen of the Weather app. You can check severe weather alerts, daily weather reports, hourly precipitation and color temperature charts.
Calls
Bixby text calls: Use Bixby text calls to automatically answer calls and find out the purpose of the call. You’ll see what the caller is saying in a text chat, and you can tap or type replies to have them read aloud to the caller. Bixby text calls are only available in English and Korean.
OneUI 5.1 availability
According to information accidentally put out by Samsung itself, One UI 5.1 would be coming to “flagship models released after Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip.” This means the update should be headed to the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S22 series, and nearly all of Samsung’s foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Since the software will debut with the Galaxy S23 series in February, it should start showing up on older Galaxy phones by March.
Despite Xiaomi’s official presentation of MIUI 14 in December, the OS update has not yet been widely released. At the time, Xiaomi stated that the OS update would be made available for the Xiaomi 12 series starting in January 2023, and it followed through with the Xiaomi 12 Lite. The Xiaomi 12 has now been added to the short list of devices that can download MIUI 14 in one way or another. Before February is up, the Xiaomi 12 Pro, MIX Fold 2, Xiaomi 12S series, and Redmi K50 series are all scheduled to receive MIUI 14.
Currently, Xiaomi has only made MIUI 14 available to Xiaomi 12 devices that have been accepted into the Mi Pilot Program. The build number suggests that Xiaomi issued MIUI 14 as MIUI 14.0.2.0 to the Xiaomi 12 at this early stage of the OS’s lifecycle, according to The Update Box. For perspective, the update is 4.45 GB in size and comes with the January 2023 set of Android security updates. Before switching from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14, Xiaomi advises users to create a complete backup. The following is the URL to download MIUI 14.0.2.0:
Unless Xiaomi finds any significant flaws, Mi Pilot Program builds typically take a few weeks before they are released to a larger audience. Even though MIUI 14 is a hefty download, once loaded, the OS should use less storage space than MIUI 13 did. In addition, MIUI 14 offers more system program uninstall options than MIUI 13 provides, which when combined with an automatic duplicate file finder can help users use built-in storage more efficiently. It is claimed that MIUI 14 consumes up to 22% less power than MIUI 13 while loading apps up to 60% faster. However, it is unknown whether all the advancements featured in the Chinese version of MIUI 14 will be included in the international release.
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra updates
Starting with devices in Europe, Samsung has started distributing the December security update to the Galaxy S20 series. SamMobile claims that certain countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Southeast Europe, Spain, Switzerland, the Baltic states, the Netherlands, and the UK, have access to the update. Firmware version G98xBXXSFGVK7 will be installed on all devices in the series. The patch from December will address 67 security flaws.
Previous Samsung Galaxy S20 series updates
November 7, 2022: The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra are receiving the stable version of One UI 5. At the time of writing, the major OS update is only available in Switzerland and Germany. Other markets should follow soon.
November 1, 2022: The latest security update for unlocked versions of the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Ultra is rolling out for users in the US. According to SamMobile, this is the October 2022 security update and comes with firmware version G98xU1UES3FVI6. The new update will fix a variety of privacy and security issues and may also provide stability and bug fixes.
September 15, 2022: Samsung has rolled out its September security update for the Galaxy S20 series. According to SamMobile, the LTE versions will receive firmware version G985FXXSFFVHA. As for the 5G variants, they will get firmware version G986BXXSFFVHA.
July 28, 2022: The August 2022 security update is arriving for the Galaxy S20 series in Germany (via SamMobile). As usual, the update is expected to hit other countries in Europe before coming to other parts of the world. Firmware version G98xBXXUEFVG5 will be coming to the Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20 Plus 5G, and Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. The LTE versions will instead be getting firmware version G980FXXUEFVG5.
July 11, 2022: Samsung has started rolling out the July 2022 security update to Galaxy S20 series devices in Europe (via SamMobile). The update is firmware version G98xxXXSEFVF4 and appears to only contain the security patch with no other new features.
May 12, 2022: Samsung has started rolling out the May 2022 security update to carrier-unlocked Galaxy S20 series devices in the US (via SamMobile).
March 28, 2022: Samsung has started pushing out the One UI 4.1 update to the Galaxy S20 series in some parts of the world.In the US, the update is going out to carrier-locked models with firmware version G98xUSQU2FVC5 (h/t SamMobile). It also adds the March security patch to the phones.
January 31, 2022: Samsung pushed the February update to the Galaxy S20 series ahead of time. Firmware versions G98xFXXUDEVA9 and G98xBXXUDEVA9 came to 4G and 5G devices, respectively (h/t SamMobile).
January 13, 2022: Samsung rolled out the January 2022 security patch to Galaxy S20 devices in the US. Per SamMobile, the update included firmware G98xU1UES2DUL2 and ten fixes from Samsung, with an additional 52 from Google.
December 28, 2021: Samsung kicked off the stable Android 12-based One UI 4 rollout to the S20 family starting in Switzerland (h/t XDA-Developers).
November 10, 2021: According to Droid-Life, the Galaxy S20 series is now receiving the November Android security patch through the Verizon network. Usually, a Verizon rollout means most other countries/variants are getting it at the same time. Unfortunately, the security patch appears to be the only thing that’s new in this rollout.
September 30, 2021: Next month’s security update is rolling out now to the Galaxy S20 lineup in South Korea. Per SamMobile, the update carries firmware version G98xNKSU1EUI3 and should have some other fixes included aside from just the October 2021 patch. However, we won’t know what’s included until the rollout comes to other countries.
September 17, 2021: The Galaxy S20 trio gained the September 2021 Android security patch across the world, including unlocked and carrier-locked models. According to SamMobile, the update brought firmware version G98xxXXSADUH5.
A day before the Honor 80 series and foldable Magic Vs were officially unveiled, Honor unveiled MagicOS 7.0, which is based on Android 13. The new version, which replaces Magic UI 6.2, will be available on all incoming Honor smartphones. MagicOS offers an aesthetic makeover along with a number of remarkable features.
Flat icons, fluid animations, and the new Honor Sans font are all part of MagicOS 7.0’s more streamlined design. Larger, more accessible folders are now housed on the home screen. A more individualized experience is made possible by the new widgets. A new built-in video editor was also unveiled by Honor.
The smooth file transfers, smart clipboard, call management, and notification handling between MagicOS devices and other Honor laptops and tablets are now known as MagicRing, according to Honor. A split-screen keyboard, smart widgets, and task manager support are further advantages for foldables. Another novelty, Magic Text, lets users scan and save text to PDF while also identifying text in photos.
Faster app launches and improved system-level power consumption management are promised by Honor OS TurboX, while MagicGuard takes care of system, privacy, and financial security concerns as well as malware protection for devices.
A preliminary list of the devices that will get the MagicOS 7.0 update in China was also released by Honor. The China-specific device list will be shared in due course, along with the global rollout schedule and list.
Every profession or pastime creates its own own particular jargon for explaining complex concepts in an understandable manner, and the Android world is no exception.
This article is for you if you’ve googled a problem with your Android smartphone or tablet and came across terms like “rooting,” “flashing a custom ROM,” “unlocking the SIM,” or anything similar that you didn’t understand.
This article is a reference for the novice who wants to learn about all the terminology behind our Android nerdiness because Android experts presumably already know what these phrases represent.
What Is Rooting?
Getting access to the system files on your Android device is what it means to root your phone. No Android device comes pre-rooted by default. Therefore, it is probably not rooted if you recently purchased an Android device and did nothing to it.
Manufacturers take this action because allowing everyone root access would cause several issues. You can access files on your device that, if deleted or altered improperly, could damage it if you have root access.
But many people still decide to root their devices because it enables them to make a lot of pretty fascinating adjustments if they know what they’re doing. It should be noted that rooting an Android device would void the warranty.
How you root your device is different for every single model. For some devices, this can prove to be a difficult process involving circumventing the manufacturer’s safety precautions. For others, it can be as simple as plugging your phone into your computer and pressing a button. You can always check out the XDA forums for instructions for your specific device.
You won’t instantly notice any significant changes after your device has been rooted. The excitement is in what you can do with a rooted device. Then, you may utilize root-required apps, flash custom ROMs, modify specific features of your phone, and more—which we’ll go over in more detail later.
For instance, when unrooted, you can remove some bloatware, but rooting your device and using Titanium Backup or a root uninstaller are required to completely remove it.
What Is Unlocking?
Unlocking is a confusing term because there are different things you could unlock.
Unlocking the Network/SIM
A device that has been network/SIM locked was typically purchased through a carrier or for a certain carrier at a discounted price. That phone is then locked by the carrier so that you can only use it with them.
However, if you pay off the phone and decide to switch carriers, the carrier is obligated by law to provide you with the unlock code (at least in the US and the EU). To obtain the code, simply get in touch with your current carrier.
Sometimes, unlocking your device gets more complicated than that, so we have a guide to SIM unlocking. Other times, you buy your phone unsubsidized and unlocked, meaning you can already use it with any carrier.
Unlocking the Bootloader
The bootloader is a piece of software that runs every time you switch on your Android phone, and it is usually locked by the manufacturers. With a locked bootloader, you can’t root your device. Instructions for unlocking your bootloader are found within the instructions for rooting your device.
What Are Custom ROMs?
Read-Only Memory is referred to as ROM, however the term is somewhat misleading today because it has nothing to do with it. A ROM is essentially the software that runs on your device, at least in the Android universe.
Therefore, a Xiaomi smartphone looks and operates differently than a Samsung smartphone when you pick it up. This is so that Xiaomi and Samsung could each create their own ROMs by altering the original Android code. Even though they both run Android, Xiaomi’s ROM and Samsung’s ROM are distinct from one another.
A custom ROM, then, is a ROM that was built not by the manufacturer but by someone else. Sometimes it’s just a lone programmer with some time on their hands and a passion for making ROMs—other times, it’s a bigger group like LineageOS that has a team and intentionally makes a certain type of ROM.
Once you’re rooted, you can flash a custom ROM. Flash, in this case, basically means to load or install. Flashing a custom ROM means you are installing a new ROM on your device and completely wiping the old ROM.
When looking for custom ROMs for your device, there are some names you’re likely to run into:
Pixel Experience: As the name suggests, features a ROM similar to that of Google’s Pixel phones. This ROM is currently one of the most commonly used custom ROMs out there, and for good reasons.
LineageOS: LineageOS, formerly known as CyanogenMod, is one of the most popular custom ROMs you’ll come across. It offers a great feature set and has even featured as the stock ROM for some manufacturers in the past.
AOSP: Android Open Source Project is the version of Android that Google gives to the world, often called stock or stock Android. You might see people say that their ROMs are “AOSP-based” or “based on stock Android,” which just means they took the AOSP code and altered it to their liking.
AOSIP: Android Open Source Illusion Project integrates features from various popular custom ROMs into AOSP ROMs.
However, don’t be hesitant to try ROMs with different names from less well-known people. There are other reliable ones besides these. They’re simply the most well-known in general.
Other Android Terms
Custom recovery
If you enjoy playing around with your Android device, the recovery process could take a while. It’s where you can perform the necessary heavy lifting, create backups, and flash ROMs.
You need a custom recovery because the stock recovery on your device is unable to perform any of those tasks. For installing custom ROMs, TWRP is the preferred custom recovery. Team Win Recovery Project is referred to as TWRP.
Nandroid backup
There are, of course, ways to backup your Android device without rooting it, but a Nandroid backup is a complete backup. It essentially makes a full copy of everything on your device and saves it. That way, if you screw up anything (since you have root access and that is possible), you can always just flash your Nandroid backup and return to where you were.
The name is just NAND (a type of flash memory) and Android mashed together.
Kernel
The kernel is like the engine of your operating system—you don’t really see it, but it’s in the background doing all the hard work.
If you want, you can flash a custom kernel. Sometimes these kernels are optimized for performance or battery life—sometimes, they’re just necessary to get some feature to work right. Either way, you can be okay just sticking with your stock kernel unless you really want to change it.
Brick
Bricking your phone is essentially breaking it. If your phone isn’t working anymore, you’ve bricked it. This is generally not a phrase you’re going to be happy to run into.
A soft brick usually means it’s fixable. Maybe you’re stuck in a bootloop (your phone just continually reboots), or you boot it up, but it only displays half the screen properly. That’s generally something you can get out of quite easily.
A hard brick is when the device is toast. You messed with something at a system level that can’t be fixed, and your device is out of commission. Sorry. This is a rare thing to happen, but it can happen—and you’ll see warnings everywhere that no one but yourself is responsible for your device being bricked.
When it comes to upgrades, carrier-locked phones typically lag behind their unlocked counterparts since carriers enjoy taking the time to customize stock firmware. While this is true for many phones in the US, Samsung’s experience is unique. US carrier-locked variants of the Galaxy S22 series are now receiving the same treatment as the unlocked ones, following the August security patch’s international rollout to the company’s newest flagships late last month.
With this month’s security patch, Samsung began distributing software version S908USQU2AVG6 to carrier-locked models of the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra in the US yesterday. According to SamMobile, the three have joined their Russian, Korean, and Latin American counterparts in utilizing the August security patch, leaving only the unlocked variations in the US and Asian regional models.
The firmware for the carrier-locked models appears to be a simple security patch, similar to the last update that went out to these devices globally. However, Samsung claims in the changelog that the “overall stability of functions” has been improved, so expect updates to the system apps or other undocumented changes along with it.
As always, we’ll keep this article updated as more Samsung devices get the August 2022 security patch in the US.
Galaxy S10 series
Verizon
Galaxy S10e: SP1A.210812.016.G970USQU6IVH2, released August 31st
Galaxy S10: SP1A.210812.016.G973USQU6IVH2, released September 2nd
Galaxy S10+: SP1A.210812.016.G975USQU6IVH2, released September 2nd
Galaxy S10 5G: SP1A.210812.016.G977UVRU8HVH1, released August 31st
The Android 13 October update is releasing now and contains nine fixes in front of upcoming Pixel phones.
This second update boasts nine enhancements across Audio, Connectivity, User Interface, and Wi-Fi after only five changes were made last month.
The Android 13 UI is the focus of this month’s updates, which also address empty Quick Settings tiles and widget compatibility issues. As well as fixing a device crash when playing audio from local storage, there is a fix for several programs that don’t display an icon in the media player.
Use the following device key to interpret the Android 13 Pixel changelog:
*[1] Included on Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a (5G)
(This only applies to the first issue under Audio, with everything else in the October update benefiting all Android 13 Pixel devices.)
Audio
Fix for issue occasionally causing audible humming or noise artifacts during calls while using wired headsets *[1]
Fix for issue preventing device volume controls in media player notification to work under certain conditions
Connectivity
Fix for issue causing launcher crash when connecting to VPN in certain conditions
