Signs of a beta firmware build have been spotted in South Korea
Any way you look at it, Samsung is at the top of the game when it comes to smartphone software updates. Not only has the company recently committed to 4 years of major Android updates for its devices, surpassing even Google’s own Pixel phones, but it has also done a fairly good job at actually deploying those updates in a timely manner. Anyone who’s looking forward to giving Android 13 a shot on their Galaxy phone might be in for an early treat, as Samsung seems to already be working on One UI 5 beta firmware.
Evidence of a pre-release Android 13 build has been spotted for the Galaxy S22 in South Korea, as reported by TizenHelp (via SamMobile), carrying firmware version number S906NKSU2ZVF6. We haven’t yet heard anything official about a beta program, neither in Samsung’s home market nor other regions, but this news does line up with previous rumors saying that Samsung might get started with One UI 5 beta testing in July.
Assuming things go well, it feels entirely possible that a public beta program for the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra could get underway as soon as next month, followed by other flagships thereafter. If the beta program gets started earlier this time around (the One UI 4 beta last year kicked off in September), that should also mean we could get stable releases earlier than usual — though we’ll have to wait and see on that.
Android 13 itself is still a work in progress — we’re hot on the heels of the release of Beta 3, and we should get at least one more next month before the final version of Android 13 hits stable.
We’re definitely excited to see what Samsung has in store for its take on Android 13, and all evidence is pointing at a shorter-than-usual wait for our first look.
