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Samsung‘s Galaxy A01 is widely getting Android 12 in the US. Following a limited rollout for carrier-locked units a couple of weeks back, the big Android update is now available for users with an unlocked model as well. The budget smartphone has already picked up the latest version of Android in most international markets.
The Android 12 update for unlocked Galaxy A01 in the US comes with firmware version A015U1UEU5CVL2, SamMobile reports. The device is getting Samsung’s One UI 4.1 Core custom software. It brings a host of new features, UI changes, and improvements. The package also bundles a relatively old September 2022 security patch.
Since the Galaxy A01 is only eligible for biannual security updates, it isn’t surprising to see the phone not getting a newer security release. The phone will pick up just a few more security releases before Samsung drops official support for it. And, of course, it will not get Android 13. The device debuted with Android 10 in January 2020 and will end its life on Android 12. If you’re using this phone in the US, go to Settings > Software update and tap on Download and install to check for the latest updates.
Newer budget phones from Samsung may get faster Android updates
Samsung unarguably offers the best software support in the Android space today. Its Galaxy smartphones and tablets are eligible for up to four generations of Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. No other Android vendor does better. Updates also come quite fast. In fact, Samsung is faster than Google when it comes to monthly security updates.
However, the Korean behemoth’s smartphone portfolio is so big that the support disparity between high-priority and low-priority models is huge. For example, the Android 12 update for the Galaxy S21 series and the Galaxy A01 came almost a year apart. This certainly isn’t helping Samsung’s reputation in the industry. To that end, the company appears to be trimming its Galaxy A series this year.
According to reports, last year’s Galaxy A73 will not get a successor in 2023. Next year, Samsung is said to be discontinuing the Galaxy A2x lineup as well. There are even rumors of the company canceling the Galaxy S24+ in 2024. If true, these moves may allow the Korean firm to further improve the quality of its devices as well as aftersales support. Newer budget Galaxy models may get these big updates quicker. We will have to wait and see how much truth is in these rumors.