Samsung One UI 5.1 Adds New Widgets, Comes Preinstalled on Galaxy S23 Series

Samsung is refreshing its One UI mobile operating system, adding a host of features and bringing it to a bevy of Galaxy devices.

The company unveiled One UI 5.1 at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this month, but now the Android 13-based interface is officially rolling out to phones, tablets, and hybrid devices. 

The forthcoming Galaxy S23 series will ship with the OS pre-installed, but today’s worldwide rollout also covers the Galaxy S22 series, S21 series, S20 series, Z Fold 4, and the Z Flip 4, with more devices, like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, gaining support in the coming weeks. However, this is an incremental rollout, so not everyone will have download access today (check your settings.) 

So what does One UI 5.1 bring to the table? There are serious camera enhancements, as the default camera app can now access the RAW format for taking uncompressed images. Photos will also get AI-enhanced touchups to optimize brightness and color accuracy. This algorithm also removes unwanted shadows and reflections from pictures. 

There are some new widgets here, including a smart suggestions widget that recommends songs and playlists on Spotify based on what you are doing. The weather widget and battery life widget have both been redesigned to offer more information at a glance. 

This wouldn’t be a smartphone system update without some aesthetic flourishes, so One UI 5.1 integrates new wallpapers, ringtones, fonts, and more, all of which can be mixed and matched for different apps and activities. 

As stated, the OS update launches today via a free download accessible on the system settings page.