Here's when Samsung will launch its Android 12-based One UI 4.0 beta program

By Babu Mohan
last updated

Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21 (Image credit: Joe Maring / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Samsung has confirmed that the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 beta program will begin in September.
  • The One UI 4.0 beta program will initially be limited to owners of Samsung's Galaxy S21 series phones.
  • You can expect the stable One UI 4.0 update to hit the Galaxy S21 series before the end of the year.

Earlier today, a Samsung community manager (opens in new tab) accidentally posted a banner for the the company's Android 12-based One UI 4.0 beta program. The banner suggested that the first One UI 4.0 beta for the Galaxy S21 series is "coming soon." However, the company has now clarified that the One UI 4.0 beta program will only begin "around September and October" (via TizenHelp).

Samsung Galaxy S21 Series One Ui 4 0 Beta Teaser

Source: Samsung (Image credit: Source: Samsung)

This means that the stable Android 12-based One UI 4.0 update could begin rolling out to the company's best Android phones sometime in the fourth quarter of the year. It took roughly two months for One UI 3.0 to go from beta to stable for the Galaxy S20 series last year. Samsung had launched the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 beta program for the Galaxy S20 series in early October.

The One UI 4.0 beta program is likely to expand to Samsung's 2020 Android flagships — including the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series a few weeks after the Galaxy S21 series. Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy S21 FE are also expected to be part of the One UI 4.0 beta program.

According to Chun (@chunvn8888), Samsung's One UI 4.0 update will bring some major changes to app icons and the overall color scheme. The tipster also suggests Samsung will adopt Android 12's Material You design language for the next major version of One UI.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Render

Samsung Galaxy S21

The Galaxy S21 offers better value than Samsung's top-end Galaxy S21 Ultra and also happens to be a lot more compact. While it doesn't have a 108MP camera or S Pen support, you still get a great flagship experience.

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Babu Mohan
Babu Mohan
News Writer
6 Comments
  • Who cares? Only the Samsung Knights will care I'm only interested in Android 12 on the Pixels, not interested in One UI.
  • 😂😂😂 3 months ago you were a 'Samsung Knight' as you put it!
  • Not anymore, I'm team Pixel and I absolutely 1000% intent to stay that way and by the time I get my Pixel 4a 5G (this fall) I'll be on Android 12 long before my S20 FE which Samsung treats like a second class citizen even though it's part of the S20 family.
  • I'd be grateful just for regular monthly security updates for my S20 FE aka Forgotten Edition
  • Since I've got my S20 FE in February, I've had consistent updates although they're now towards the end of the month and the Play System updates have been pathetically slow and got the June Play System update at the beginning of this month which is not good enough, I thought Google was on charge of Play System updates.
  • It's just not about the s20fe and I don't know why I'm getting singled out for that it's kind of weird because all the other builds are late to even the ultra so that tells me based on past experience with major upgrades we're getting ready to get a major upgrade mid OS ....Samsung one ui 3.5 is pulled after beta build..so 4.0 is upstreamed to push the A12 roll out