The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 were the first two Samsung smartphones to receive the August SMR (Security Maintenance Release). The update started rolling out late last month in select regions. The US units are gradually joining the party too. Both unlocked and carrier-locked variants of the Galaxy S21 trio are receiving the new security patch. The updated firmware versions for the two variants are G99USQU5CVGB and G99U1UEU5CVGB, respectively. This update for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra contains some system optimizations for improved performance and stability. The rollout has begun for units on select carrier networks but should soon reach everyone. The new security patch is also now available to unlocked Galaxy S22 users in the US. The update is rolling out with firmware version S90*U1UEU2AVG8. Along with the latest vulnerability fixes, it also brings some system stability improvements. The carrier-locked Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra have already picked up the August SMR stateside. The rollout for those began just a few days after the international release. Regarding the content of this month’s security patch, Samsung recently revealed that the new SMR fixes over 60 vulnerabilities. These include one critical Android OS issue that allowed remote code execution over Bluetooth. The latest SMR patches numerous Galaxy-specific issues as well, including those on critical components and services such as Samsung DeX, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, App Lock, and Knox VPN.
Samsung has begun beta testing Android 13 for Galaxy smartphones
Samsung recently opened the One UI 5.0 beta program for the Galaxy S22 series. It’s the newest iteration of the company’s custom Android skin and is based on Android 13, which has yet to hit the stable release. Following the latest flagships, the Korean firm will likely roll out One UI 5.0 beta to the Galaxy S21 series. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 should be the next in the pipeline. Meanwhile, if you’re using any of Samsung’s Galaxy S21 or Galaxy S22 phones and haven’t yet received the August security update, your wait shouldn’t be much longer. Watch out for a notification in the coming days. Stay tuned for more updates on the One UI 5.0 rollout.
