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Samsung‘s May 2023 security update has reached a few more Galaxy devices in the US. The company has released the latest security patch for the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and the Galaxy A53 5G stateside. The rollout began over the weekend and may reach all eligible users within the next few days.
This month’s security update for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra is initially only available to users with a carrier-locked unit. The new firmware build number for Comcast customers is G99*USQS6EWD5, while that for users on Sprint and Dish networks is G99*USQS6EWD4. Samsung should soon expand the release to more networks. The new SMR (Security Maintenance Release) should also soon reach factory-unlocked units on the 2021 Galaxy flagships. The build numbers may vary depending on your carrier and device model.
The May update for the Galaxy S21 series in international markets brought some functional improvements along with the latest security fixes. That doesn’t seem to be the case in the US, though. Samsung’s official changelog mentions nothing more than this month’s security patch. The company has already revealed that the May SMR patches more than 70 vulnerabilities across the Galaxy lineup. These included over 50 Android OS patches and 20-odd Galaxy-specific patches. At least six of those were critical security flaws.
All of these security patches are now also available for carrier-locked versions of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in the US. The update comes with firmware version F711USQS4FWE3 (via). The rollout appears limited to select networks but Samsung shouldn’t take long to expand the availability nationwide. The company released the May SMR for the unlocked version of the 2021 clamshell foldable last week. Neither model is picking up anything more than the latest vulnerabilities fixes. Carrier-locked versions of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 have yet to receive this update.
Galaxy A53 5G is also getting the May 2023 update in the US
Samsung is also rolling out the May SMR to the Galaxy A53 5G in the US. The rollout for last year’s premium mid-range smartphone is pretty wide already. Both carrier-locked and unlocked models are picking up the new release. The new firmware version for the former is A536USQS5CWD4. That for the latter is A536U1UES5CWE1 (except for the Puerto Rico region where it’s A536U1UES5CWE2). Like the Galaxy S21 series and Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Galaxy A53 5G is also only getting the latest security patch here. Don’t expect any major new features or functional improvements with this update.