Samsung's software update will make your old foldables feel brand new
The new UI features on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, and Watch 5 will be coming to Samsung's older devices.
If you’ve decided against upgrading to Samsung’s latest foldable or smartwatch, you won’t be left totally empty-handed. Samsung is going to add a bunch of the new features introduced with its Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, and Watch 5 to most of its older models.
The software update will add features to everything from the original Z Fold to the previous-generation Z Fold 3. The update includes UI features like improved cover screen functionality and easier multi-window gestures for foldables; there’s also better health monitoring for the smartwatches.
All the cool features with the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 are coming to older devices.
It’s a questionable business decision from Samsung, but it’s sure to keep customers happy. With the update, you’ll probably be able to squeeze a few more years out of your Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3 before feeling like you need to upgrade.
Fresh again — The new features are coming straight from the One UI 4.1.1 that’s on the Z Fold 4 and the Z Flip 4, and the One UI Watch 4.5 that we see on the Watch Series 5.
The new taskbar makes multitasking way easier.
First up, Samsung is adding the taskbar feature that lets you easily switch between apps. You can also drag and drop any of the apps from the taskbar to open up the multi-window function. If you have a pair of apps you always open together, you can pair them up as one button and save it to the taskbar. The new UI even has a bunch of gestures that let you switch full-screen apps to a pop-up window or have it split between your screens.
Drag and drop from the taskbar to split your screen.
Next up: Samsung is adding several features to Quick Shot mode for the older foldables. With Dual Preview you (and whoever you’re shooting) see the shot at the same time. For older Z Flip phones, the Quick Shot mode on the cover screen will also show the correct ratio when shooting portrait orientation photos. Switching from Quick Shot mode to Flex mode will be a lot easier and won’t interrupt your photo or video.
The camera on the Z Folds and Z Flips will be easier to use.
Samsung also added a bunch of new functions to the cover screen, like making calls to favorite contacts, dialing back missed calls, and replying to texts with voice-to-text and emojis. Additionally, you can pull up Quick Settings for easy access to features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, airplane mode, and the flashlight.
The updated cover screen should be able to tackle everything you need without opening your phone.
Smarter watches — There will be six new watch faces from the Watch 5 coming to Watch 4. The new update also throws in a QWERTY keyboard to communicate through your Galaxy Watch, along with the existing voice recognition and handwriting tools. For the Watch 3 and the Watch Active 2, Samsung is adding two watch faces and a snore detection function for better sleep quality analysis. Samsung is even introducing blood pressure measurements and ECG to the Watch 3 and Watch Active 2.
The software updates for the Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3 already started on September 5 and will gradually roll out globally. The updates are also coming to the Z Fold 2, Z Flip, and the original Z Fold. The latest watch UI will be supported by the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic, while a minor software update with only some of the features of One UI Watch 4.5 are coming to the older smartwatches.
This article was originally published on Input. Read the original article here.
