Samsung One UI 6.1 Update: Features, Release Date, And What To Expect

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Samsung's One UI is one of the most feature-rich Android skins on the market, and the company's upcoming One UI 6.1 update is expected to go even further. While this may seem like a minor version change on paper, rumors suggest that we're in for a major AI-powered update. The company's upcoming flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S24, will be the first to receive the update, but it will eventually be available on older Samsung devices as well. What exactly does One UI 6.1 bring? Let's look at what we know so far and when we can expect it.

One UI 6.1 features: What to expect

Damien Wilde/Android Authority

Samsung hasn't made any major changes to the One UI design language in several years, and that's not expected to change with this minor release. Instead, the leaks suggest that One UI 6.1 will focus primarily on adding new features rather than improving the overall look of the skin. So what to expect? Let's take a quick look at the One UI 6.1 features we know about so far.

• Wallpaper created by artificial intelligence . Google's AI background feature, first introduced in the Pixel 8 series, will be available on Samsung devices with the One UI 6.1 update. You can also add weather and portrait effects to your wallpaper.
• Move objects between images . Using generative artificial intelligence, One UI 6.1 lets you move objects within an image and even move them entirely to another image.
• Photo Zoom – The Samsung Gallery app may also have the ability to zoom photos beyond their original limits. These are essentially the same printing features we see in AI viewers. To use this feature, you'll need a Samsung account and an internet connection, but at least you don't have to pay for a Midjourney subscription.

• Live translation during a call : One UI 6.1 lets you answer phone calls in languages ​​you don't speak. The leaked screenshots show that your phone translates the caller's voice in real time and does the same for you. It's an impressive feature, but as we saw with Bixby Text Call last year, expect limited language support at launch.
• Voice Focus – Google’s Clear Calling feature was first introduced in the Pixel 7 series. A year later, Samsung introduced a similar feature called Voice Focus on its devices. It promises to improve call quality in noisy environments and you should enable it in the Quick Settings menu.
• Battery Saver : Samsung can rename the existing battery saver to “Battery Saver”. The latter offers three levels: Basic, Adaptive and Max. Basic stops charging when your phone reaches 100% and resumes charging when it reaches 95%. The adaptive feature is similar to the Pixel's adaptive charging feature, which stops charging at 80% overnight and resumes charging just in time for you to turn it off. Finally, the maximum protection mode sets the charging limit to 80%. All of these measures prevent battery wear to a certain extent.

• Better organization of notes . Using large language models, Samsung Notes can offer a new automatic formatting option. The proposed feature compresses large blocks of text into a short, bulleted summary. Note that it also works with handwritten notes.
• The Samsung keyboard works with artificial intelligence . The leak suggested that Samsung's keyboard app would let you change the sound of highlighted text, similar to the feature Microsoft added to its Swiftkey keyboard app.
• Ultra HDR support . With Android 14, Google introduced a new image format called Ultra HDR that allowed compatible smartphones to better display highlights in HDR photos. The Galaxy S24 series could benefit from this feature, and older flagships may also be affected. However, in the Samsung Gallery app, this feature may have a name other than “Ultra HDR.”

The long-rumored AI chatbot could also launch alongside the Galaxy S24 series. However, it is unclear whether it will replace Bixby or whether it will be available on older devices via the One UI 6.1 update.

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One UI 6.1 release date: Which smartphones will receive the update?

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Samsung has already confirmed that its upcoming smartphones will use Galaxy AI, but we don't know which of the company's older phones will benefit from this feature.

Some of the features listed above may apply to the Galaxy S24 series, especially those that use Samsung's AI processing servers. With Magic Editor currently exclusive to the Pixel 8 series, we've seen Google take a similar approach.

A UI 6.1 update will be available for older Samsung phones in early 2024.

According to the story, the One UI 6.1 update will be gradually rolled out to older Samsung devices shortly after the Galaxy S24 launches on Samsung Unpacked on January 17, 2024. The Galaxy S23, Z Fold 5 and Z Flip Series 5 are expected to be unveiled. Get the update first and more phones will follow in 2023.

Dozens of other Samsung devices, including tablets, will also receive the update, but some models may have to wait until the end of 2024. We expect all devices eligible for the One UI 6 update to also receive the One UI 6.1 update.