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Samsung has released Android 13 for one more Galaxy smartphone in the US. The Galaxy A42 5G is the latest to get the big Android update stateside. The mid-range model is yet to pick up the new Android version in most international markets.
Samsung began rolling out the Android 13-based One UI 5.0 update to the Galaxy A42 5G early last month. The new version was first released in its home country South Korea. We expected the rollout to expand to other markets in subsequent weeks. But, more than a month later, South Korea remains the only market where this 2020 mid-ranger has received Android 13. The US versions are joining the party today. Hopefully, users in Europe and other international markets won’t have to wait much longer.
As of this writing, the Android 13 update is available for carrier-locked units in the US. Users on Comcast’s networks are picking up the new release with firmware version A426USQU4DVL2. A wider rollout covering unlocked models should be just around the corner. The update bundles a relatively old November 2022 security patch. Samsung has already rolled out the January 2023 SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to a few Galaxy devices. But for the Galaxy A42 5G, this update is more about Android 13 than anything else.
The latest Android version, along with Samsung’s One UI 5.0 custom skin, brings a host of goodies to the mid-range smartphone. We have a minor UI refresh with bolder app icons featuring gradient colors and smoother system animations and transitions. There are also plenty of new features that add to your device’s functionality. We have privacy and security improvements too. This is on top of dozens of vulnerability fixes that are part of Samsung’s November 2022 SMR.
The Galaxy A42 5G gets its final Android OS update in the US
Samsung released the Galaxy A42 5G in November 2020 as a premium mid-range offering. The company didn’t launch a successor to it, but the device got its fair share of support. Debuting with Android 10 on board, it picked up updates to Android 11, Android 12, and now, Android 13. That’s the end of its run, though. The mid-range device will not get Android 14.
From here on, it’s only security updates for the Galaxy A42 5G, which will come once in a while at least until November 2024. Meanwhile, if you’re using this phone, you can head over to Settings > Software update and tap on Download and install to check if Android 13 is available for you. If not, wait a few days and check again.