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Samsung‘s Galaxy S21 FE is receiving the Android 13-based One UI 5.0 update in the US. The rollout began for the carrier-locked units a few days ago. A wider release covering unlocked variants should be right around the corner.
The Galaxy S21 FE started getting Android 13 in international markets about three weeks ago. Samsung first released the big Android update for the phone in Europe. The company expanded the rollout to units in Asia, Africa, and other regions in subsequent weeks. Now, after a slight delay, the US variants of the affordable Galaxy flagship are also picking up the new Android version. The updated firmware version for carrier-locked units is G990USQU4DVK5.
The latest update for the Galaxy S21 FE in the US comes with the November security patch. Samsung has already released the December SMR (Security Maintenance Release), so it isn’t the latest one available out there. But the company has still done well to seed Android 13 with last month’s patch. The same release in other markets came with the October SMR. Samsung has updated those units to the November patch recently, though.
Nonetheless, this update is more about Android 13 and One UI 5.0 than the security patch. The latest Android version has tons of goodies for Galaxy devices. And as usual, Samsung offers plenty of add-ons too. The company has improved its Color Palette feature to allow you to apply colors from your wallpaper to system UI elements more effectively. The UI itself has been tweaked slightly, with you now getting bolder app icons featuring subtle background gradients and improved contrast.
Samsung has also improved the system animations and transitions. Navigating through your Galaxy smartphone should feel smoother after installing the Android 13 update. Customizations are easier too, now that you can access those directly from the lock screen. You even have new customization options. On top of these visual enhancements, this update also adds new features and improvements to the camera, Bixby Routines, Gallery, multitasking, Photo Editor, and other stock apps and services.
The Galaxy S21 FE gets Android 13 in the US
If you’re using the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in the US and haven’t received Android 13 yet, the wait shouldn’t be much longer now. The rollout has already begun, so it’s only a matter of time before everyone gets the new Android version. As usual, the update will be released in batches over the air (OTA). You may wait for a notification about it or check for the update manually from the Settings app.