Samsung Galaxy Android 13 update

Introduction

A new major Android OS upgrade arrives every year and in 2022, we got Android 13. Google unveiled this version of its mobile OS at its I/0 2022 conference on May 11, 2022.

For Samsung Galaxy devices, Android 13 debuted alongside One UI 5.0 in the second half of 2022. The Galaxy S22 series was the first to receive Android 13 through Samsung's early beta program and publicly a few months later.

Many Samsung devices are eligible for Android 13. That's because Samsung is now providing up to four years of Android OS upgrades for many of its Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Best Android 13 features

Since Android 12 brought significant cosmetic changes, the majority of improvements Android 13 makes are under the hood. There are a few visual changes, though, such as an improved Material You color palette and auto-theming icons. Similar visual changes came to Samsung devices through One UI 5.0.

Android 13 includes a new media player and output picker, the placement for power and settings shortcuts have been changed in the Quick Settings menu, the app drawer icon is being added to the taskbar again, and more.

We've seen Google's Android upgrades take inspiration from Samsung in the past. One of the new Android 13 features is the ability to control the brightness strength of the device's flashlight. Samsung devices have already had this feature for several years now.

Android 13 also came with an improved clipboard feature, per-app language settings, a redesigned audio output selector, a new QR code scanner, support for native Bluetooth LE audio, a new privacy and security hub, and better rendering support for fonts and emojis.

Android 13 on Samsung devices

Samsung has released a new version of its One UI custom skin alongside Android 13. It's called One UI 5.0, and as always, it doesn't always share its features with Android 13. With One UI 5.0, Samsung introduced a handful of features of its own.

One UI 5.0 comes with a watermarking tool inside the Camera, better background app management and improved optimization, a redesigned Settings app (in places), improvements to Samsung DeX and Multi-Window, per-contact call backgrounds, better integration with Bixby OCR inside various Samsung apps, a new lock screen customization menu, and more.

Android 13 beta for Samsung

Samsung ran its own program for the Android 13 beta ahead of many other OEMs. As usual, the beta was coupled with the beta release of its new One UI 5.0 iteration. Beta testing began in August 2022 and was available in limited markets initially before it gradually expanded.

The Galaxy S22 was the first to receive Android 13 beta and exit the beta stages before the end of 2022. Many other Galaxy devices across different price points have since received Android 13.

Which Samsung devices will get Android 13

All of Samsung's current leading devices have received Android 13, but they certainly aren't the only ones. The company now provides up to four years of Android OS upgrades to select devices. This makes many existing devices eligible for the new update. Here's a list of all Samsung devices that have gotten or will get Android 13.