The Samsung Galaxy S21 is still a great Android phone. Despite a generation — and it could be two by February 2023 — many users may find themselves reluctant to upgrade if their S21 is still performing well. Now, Samsung is giving them another reason to hold off on buying a new phone.
First reported by Droid Life, Samsung will roll out Android 13 to the Samsung S21 series starting November 30. This time, Android 13 for Samsung’s One UI 5 version is launched, and it will land on the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s another surprising boost for the Galaxy S21 Plus, which was just named the fourth-fastest 5G phone in the US in terms of download speeds.
The update is currently available to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers. AT&T and T-Mobile customers have already started getting the update as of November 15th, though some customers are still waiting to get their phones updated. These operating systems are rolled out based on the IMEI number and sometimes it may take some time. It took me a while to get the Android 13 update on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, so don’t panic if you can’t update right away.
One UI 5 Android 13: New features
Back when Samsung announced the rollout of One UI 5 to the Samsung S22 series, we were able to learn about some of the new features this latest update brings. One UI 5 includes the ability to further customize your lock screen with more notification settings—even allowing you to preview certain notifications in real time. Another notification-adjacent feature is the ability to change the background of your call based on who’s calling.
Another upgrade is maintenance mode. This feature locks your personal data if you need your phone repaired, which is a huge win for Galaxy owners. Photographers get an upgrade just for them, too—you can now add watermarks to your photos. This way you can protect your photos from being stolen by those with inferior phone cameras.
While the Samsung S21 is no longer the latest and greatest, the upgrade to Android 13 is a huge boost. Plus, if you need to upgrade but don’t want to shell out more for the Samsung Galaxy S22, you can get some really good deals, especially if you’re willing to get a newer or refurbished phone. However, upgrading to the Galaxy S22 doesn’t have to be expensive, and you’re also guaranteed to get the latest version of Android.