Samsung is reportedly looking to kick off its Android 13 beta program as early as July 2022. Google is currently testing Android 13 Developer Preview builds for a handful of devices, which is expected to be released to AOSP later this year. Just a few years ago, Samsung was considered a laggard when it came to rolling out Android updates, and its customers often expressed their displeasure in no uncertain terms.
Things, however, have changed over the past couple of years, with Samsung becoming one of the leaders in rolling out timely updates for its smartphones and tablets. Last year, the company announced its Android 12 beta program in July before rolling it out in September. This year, the company is apparently aiming to do even better.
Samsung is reportedly planning to roll out its Android 13 beta program with One UI 5.0 in July 2022. That's according to SamMobile, which claims that it would be an open beta program that allows regular users to install the update on their devices. The public beta testing phase is expected to last several weeks before Samsung rolls out the stable Android 13 builds by the end of 2022 or in early 2023. However, the report also adds that the aforementioned time-frames are not etched in stone and can change going forward. That said, if the report turns out to be correct and Samsung does start its beta program that early, it will also likely be able to roll out the first stable builds much earlier than last year.
Samsung Devices Eligible For Android 13
While Samsung hasn't officially confirmed which devices will get the Android 13 update, almost all premium smartphones released over the past couple of years qualify for the program. Earlier this year, Samsung promised four years of Android version updates for its premium devices, which means the Galaxy S22-series devices, which were launched recently with Android 12 on-board, will be among the first in line to get the Android 13 update. Alongside that, the entire Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 lineups, including the mid-range Galaxy S21 FE and S20 FE, will also be eligible for the new software.
Going by Samsung's update policy, the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra should also be updated to Android 13. The company's entire lineup of foldables, barring the original Galaxy Fold, should also qualify as well. That includes the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, Z Fold 3, Z Flip, Z Flip 2, and Z Flip 3. Finally, a whole bunch of Galaxy A-series, M-series, and F-series devices are also in line to get Android 13, including the newly-launched Galaxy A73 and Galaxy A53. In terms of tablets, the all-new Galaxy Tab S8-series, as well as last year's Tab S7-series are eligible for the new software. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, so other Samsung devices will likely get the Android 13 update as well.
Source: SamMobile