After launching on Pixel phones earlier this year, Android 13 is now headed to Samsung Galaxy devices outside of a beta program. Here’s what devices have already received their update, and which ones will probably get it over the coming months.
What’s new in Android 13 on Samsung devices?
Android 13 is a pretty small update compared to Android 12 that came before it. Where that update completely reinvented the platform’s design on Pixel phones and introduced “Material You” theming with special colors, this year’s update is much smaller on the whole.
On Samsung smartphones, Android 13 brings a few system-level changes, including more colors for Samsung’s version of Material You, “Color Palette.” Themed icons on the homescreen now support third-party apps, too. There are also various privacy features on the lower levels, but the bulk of what’s new on Galaxy smartphones comes from Samsung.
One UI 5.0 is the latest version of Samsung’s skin on top of Android 13, and it brings a handful of new features. This includes “Privacy Detection” when sharing photos, a new Privacy and Security dashboard similar to the one Google built; a new lockscreen with more customizable features; “Maintenence Mode,” which hides user data when a smartphone is sent in for repair; stackable widgets; and more. The update was supposed to finally bring multi-user support, but Samsung removed it during the beta program.
Android 13 is already available on these Samsung devices
As of October 2022, Samsung has launched Android 13 for three smartphones. On October 24, One UI 5.0 with Android 13 started rolling out to all Galaxy S22 series devices globally, with some delays on carrier models and some regions.
Samsung Galaxy S devices with Android 13
In October 2022, Samsung updated three devices to Android 13 as the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra saw updates to the latest version of Android and One UI 5.0. The update was launched globally on October 24, but is still expanding to certain regional variants and carrier models.
In November 2022, Samsung expanded the Android 13 update much further. On November 7, the update was launched on Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 series devices. The update started its availability in portions of Europe including Germany and Switzerland and is expected to roll out in other regions soon after. By November 14, the Android 13 update had expanded to the Galaxy S21 in India, Kazakhstan, and Russia, as well as some US carriers.
- Galaxy S22 – Available globally
- Galaxy S22+ – Available globally
- Galaxy S22 Ultra – Available globally
- Galaxy S21 – Available in Europe, India, Kazakhstan, Russia
- Available in US on AT&T and T-Mobile
- Galaxy S21+ – Available in Europe, India, Kazakhstan, Russia
- Available in US on AT&T and T-Mobile
- Galaxy S21 Ultra – Available in Europe, India, Kazakhstan, Russia
- Available in US on AT&T and T-Mobile
- Galaxy S20 – Available in Europe
- Galaxy S20+ – Available in Europe
- Galaxy S20 Ultra – Available in Europe
Galaxy Foldables with Android 13
Samsung has also started rolling out Android 13 to its foldable devices as of mid-November, but in a limited capacity. As of November 11, Samsung has released Android 13 to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, but only to those who were previously beta testing the update. The finalized update was launched in the US to unlocked owners, but should expand to other beta testers as well as all other owners fairly soon. By November 17, the update had launched widely to users that weren’t in the beta program, but still in a limited number of countries. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are also now getting the Android 13 update globally for those who were in the beta program.
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 – Rolling out now starting in South Korea and India
- Galaxy Z Flip 4 – Rolling out now starting in South Korea
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 – Available to One UI 5 beta testers first
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 – Available to One UI 5 beta testers first
Samsung Galaxy Note devices with Android 13
As Samsung moves away from the Galaxy Note line, there’s only a handful of Note devices that will ever see Android 13 officially. In fact, it’s really just the Galaxy Note 20 series, which started seeing its update in early November 2022. The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra picked up Android 13 in Switzerland first, and has expanded to the United States as of November 15.
- Galaxy Note 20 – Available in Europe and the United States
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – Available in Europe and the United States
Samsung Galaxy A devices with Android 13
The Android 13 update is moving quickly, and already available on select Galaxy A series devices. The Galaxy A53 was first in line on November 9 with the update launched in Europe and the UK. The Galaxy A33 was next in line on November 10 in Europe, while the Galaxy A73 came just a day later in Malaysia. The Galaxy A52 was also updated on November 17, the first device from Samsung’s 2021 mid-range lineup to be updated.
- Galaxy A53 5G– Available in Europe and UK
- Galaxy A33 5G– Avaialble in Europe
- Galaxy A73 5G – Available in Malaysia
- Galaxy A52 5G – Available in Russia
Galaxy tablets with Android 13
The very first Android tablets to be updated to Android 13 became Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 series on November 14. The update started rolling out to 5G versions of each tablet in several countries across Europe, but should expand to other models and regions soon.
- Galaxy Tab S8 – Available in Europe, 5G only
- Galaxy Tab S8+ – Available in Europe, 5G only
- Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – Available in Europe, 5G only
Other Samsung devices with Android 13
Outside of Samsung’s core product lineups, there are other devices getting Android 13 as well. That includes the rugged XCover 6 Pro, which was updated on November 14 alongside the Galaxy Tab S8 series. On November 15, Samsung released the update for its Galaxy M52 5G and Galaxy M32 5G in select markets.
- Galaxy XCover 6 Pro – Available in Europe
- Galaxy M32 5G – Available in India
- Galaxy M52 5G – Available in Europe
What’s next?
When will my Samsung device get Android 13?
When will Galaxy devices get Android 13? If Samsung’s usual pattern holds up, most modern and supported flagship devices will be updated in a matter of weeks, with budget devices and other regional exclusives getting the update throughout 2023.
Generally speaking, most Samsung smartphones are now guaranteed major Android updates for at least three years after their debut, meaning there’s a pretty huge list of devices set to be updated. You can check the update policy for your Samsung smartphone below.
In a message sent to users in Korea through its Samsung Members app, Samsung has confirmed a preliminary list of devices and a roadmap of when it plans to roll out Android 13. The timeline was also backed up by messages in Malaysia and India. This timeline will likely vary a bit depending on your region and Samsung’s own pace, but it’s a good outline of what to expect.
Samsung Android 13 update schedule
October 2022
- Galaxy S22 – October 24
- Galaxy S22+ – October 24
- Galaxy S22 Ultra – October 24
November 2022
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 – November 17
- Galaxy Z Flip 4 – November 17
- Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Galaxy S21 – November 7
- Galaxy S21+ – November 7
- Galaxy S21 Ultra – November 7
- Galaxy Note 20 – November 7
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – November 7
- Galaxy S20 – November 7
- Galaxy S20+ – November 7
- Galaxy S20 Ultra – November 7
- Galaxy Tab S8 – November 14
- Galaxy Tab S8+ – November 14
- Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – November 14
- Galaxy Tab S7
- Galaxy Tab S7+
- Galaxy Quantum3
- Galaxy A53 5G – November 9
- Galaxy A33 5G – November 10
- Galaxy XCover 6 Pro – November 14
December 2022
- Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Galaxy Z Flip 5G
- Galaxy Z Flip
- Galaxy S21 FE
- Galaxy S20 FE
- Galaxy Tab S7 FE
- Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G
- Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
- Galaxy S10 Lite
- Galaxy Note 10 Lite
- Galaxy A73 5G – November 11
- Galaxy A52s 5G
- Galaxy A52 5G – November 17
- Galaxy A51
- Galaxy A42 5G
- Galaxy A32
- Galaxy A71
- Galaxy A71 5G
- Galaxy A Quantum
- Galaxy A Quantum2
- Galaxy Jump
- Galaxy Jump 2
January 2023
- Galaxy A13 5G
- Galaxy A23
- Galaxy A72
- Galaxy A52
- Galaxy A32
- Galaxy A32 5G
- Galaxy M33 5G
- Galaxy M53 5G
- Galaxy M62
- Galaxy M52 5G
- Galaxy M12
- Galaxy Buddy
- Galaxy Buddy 2
- Galaxy Wide6
- Galaxy Wide5
- Galaxy XCover 5
- Galaxy Tab A8
- Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
- Galaxy Tab Active 3
February 2023
- Galaxy A23
- Galaxy A23 5G
- Galaxy A12
- Galaxy A22
- Galaxy A22 5G
- Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro
- Galaxy M13
- Galaxy M22
- Galaxy M23 5G
- Galaxy M32
March 2023
- Galaxy A03
- Galaxy A03s
- Galaxy A04s
- Galaxy A13 LTE
April 2023
- Galaxy A04
Looking at Samsung’s update list from 2022 with Android 12, it’s almost guaranteed that other devices not on this initial roadmap will be added in time, but this gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect.
