Older Galaxy Phones Are Getting Some One UI 6.1 Features, but Not All

Samsung has already confirmed that its older flagship devices will soon be getting the latest Galaxy OS update, One UI 6.1. But while that update will bring many of Galaxy AI’s features to these older Galaxy devices, reports from South Korean users who have already installed the update are showing that a few of those devices will only get a small taste of Galaxy AI.

Devices released in 2022 will get all the same AI features as the Galaxy S23 FE, which includes everything except for Instant Slo-mo. But some devices released in 2021, like the Galaxy S21 series and the Galaxy Z Flip 3, will get far fewer features, with only two Galaxy AI functions set to appear on these devices.

Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra users will be able to make use of Circle to Search and Magic Rewrite, but they'll miss out on the rest of the features that Galaxy AI brings to the table, including Live Translate, Instant Slo-mo, and more. Samsung hasn’t said whether these limitations are due to hardware, which Google originally claimed when it said Gemini wouldn’t come to the base Pixel 8. (It later found its way to that phone without issue).

How to install One UI 6.1 on your Galaxy device

Samsung hasn’t clarified how quickly the update is rolling out to S21 and Z Flip 3 devices, but if you don’t already see it, you should in the next few days. To download the update on applicable devices, navigate to Settings > Software Update and click the Download and Install button. This will download any available updates and apply them to your device.

What do you think so far?

It's worth mentioning that the Galaxy S21 FE is not included in this specific rollout for the update. It’s unclear exactly when the update will be available for that device and some others outside of South Korea, but a post from leaker @theonecid says that users with the S21 FE, the A53, and A54 should receive it within the month, at least in Canada. It is likely that a U.S. release will happen at the same time or soon after.

The Galaxy S23 was recently added to Samsung's Certified Re-Newed program, where it can be bought for up to $280 off. To stay up to date on all of Samsung's AI features, check out the most recent Galaxy phones below: