Samsung is not stingy with new software. After a brief period of exclusivity, most features of the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 will appear on older-generation foldable phones.
Samsung unveiled its all-new foldable phones a month ago, but that doesn’t stop it from taking care of its older phones. In a press release published on September 5, 2022, the Korean manufacturer announced that the novelties reserved for the Galaxy Fold 4 and Galaxy Flip 4 were arriving on the foldables of previous generations through an update.
All older foldable models affected
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, which were announced last year alongside Android 11, should soon switch to Android 12L. This version of Google’s OS has been specially designed for foldable phones, and it is also the one that equips the Galaxy Fold 4 and Flip 4 (even if Samsung prefers to communicate using the name of its overlay, namely One UI 4.1.1). This means that last year’s foldables are going to inherit most of the features from this year’s launched devices. And, good news, even the Galaxy Fold (first name) and Fold 2 will be entitled to this update. Just like the original Z Flip.
The most striking novelty is undoubtedly the appearance of a taskbar at the bottom of the Z Fold screen. The latter, like on the Fold 4, allows you to quickly juggle between multiple apps, open two pieces of software side-by-side on the large interior screen, or even create groups of apps that will always open together on half a screen. the screen. This feature is reminiscent of what is found on Apple iPads or even on computer OSes like Windows 11. It will also be possible to resize certain applications on the fly to make them appear in windowed mode and thus leave more flexibility in navigating within the system.
On the side of the Z Flip, it is at the level of the mini external screen that the bulk of the changes are located. The latter will gain in functionality, in particular by allowing you to respond to messages using voice dictation, to activate or deactivate Bluetooth/wifi, etc., or even to directly call back a contact whose call you have missed. This same screen will be able to display photos in the exact ratio in which they were captured, allowing you to better frame your shots. The Folds inherit a novelty of the same kind, with the possibility of duplicating the digital viewfinder of the interior screen on the exterior screen.
An update starting today
The update to Android 12L begins today and will gradually arrive on all Galaxy Fold 3 and Flip 3. If your phone does not offer it, be patient. Updates of this magnitude often take days or even weeks to reach every phone on the market.
Finally, Samsung connected watches are not left out, since they too are entitled to an update. One UI Watch 4.5 brings new customization options, a full keyboard accessible from the watch screen, and new software for health tracking. The update affects Galaxy Watch 2, 3, and 4 released in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. Not all features will arrive on all models, however.