Samsung has begun the rollout of the next major Android software update, called One UI 3 that is based on Android 11, to their Galaxy smartphones. With it, Samsung has brought a fresh new design, loads of customization options and improvements to the many everyday features that One UI already offers.
Samsung has made a number of visual changes to the software experience, refining them for a simpler and elegant experience. The home screen, lock screen, notifications and Quick Panel have been visually enhanced for clearer information.
Animations and motion effects are smoother and tightened up, the lock screen fade-out looks cleaner, and button presses and toggles feel more realistic.
With the redesigned Lock Screen Widgets, users can more easily control their music, look over calendar events and routines, and messages app notifications are grouped together so that it is easier to read and respond to them.
One UI 3 will also bring improvements to the camera with better AI-based zoom, improved autofocus and auto-exposure, and finding photos in the Gallery is easier now with the organization categories.
The Quick panel has been slightly tweaked with a more translucent background, and the buttons for Media and Devices have now been moved to the top. Widgets on the home screen offer an option to control its transparency and the design and color of the clock on the Always On Display or the Lock screen can now be modified.
Since it is based on Android 11, the most commonly used destinations can be pinned to the share sheet. Digital Wellbeing also got a few updates where users can see their usage information of apps through the week, etc.
Samsung’s One UI 3 will be rolling out starting today in Korea, US and Europe, first to Galaxy S20 devices. In a few weeks, Samsung will roll it out to more regions and devices such as Galaxy Note20, Z Fold2, Z Flip, Note10, Fold and S10 series. The Galaxy A series devices are expected to get One UI 3 sometime early 2021.
Commenting on the launch, Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics said:
The launch of One UI 3 is just the beginning of our commitment to offering Galaxy consumers the best mobile experiences possible by giving them access to the latest OS innovation, as soon as it’s available. One UI 3 represents an integral part of our mission to continually create new innovative and intuitive experiences for our consumers throughout their device lifecycle. So when you have a Galaxy device, you have a gateway to new, unimagined experiences for years to come.