Google rolled out a stable version of Android 11 for its Pixel devices in September.
Since then, several smartphone manufacturers have started beta testing Android 11 on their devices. One of them is Samsung, which not long ago revealed One UI 3.0 based on Android 11, the next big update to its Android skin.
The Samsung One UI 3.0 doesn't come with a ton of features; however, it builds on several features introduced with OneUI 2.5. Apart from that, the latest version of One UI encompasses almost all the features of Android 11.
This article will discuss the best features of Samsung OneUI 3.0 / Android 11, when it arrives, and the list of supported devices.
One UI 3.0 release date
According to Samsung, the stable version OneUI 3.0 will arrive in November 2020. However, it is not known which carrier or country will receive the update first.
A public UI 3.0 beta has arrived first for Samsung Galaxy S20 users in South Korea and then for Galaxy S20 users in the United States. Samsung may keep the same release order for the One UI 3.0 stable update.
Other countries like China, Germany, India, Poland and the UK are still waiting for the public beta of One UI 3.0. This suggests that the global rollout of One UI 3.0 could extend through the first quarter of 2021.
One UI 3.0 features
Redesigned quick notification panel
The first big change you'll notice right away is the transparent blurry background behind notifications instead of the solid white background in the latest version of One UI. Apart from that, there are small tweaks like the power button, and the menu button has moved up, and the date now appears right in the center.
Including the best features of Android 11, the notification panel now shows chat messages in a separate conversation section. The Samsung One UI 3.0 also has fast Android 11 media controls that instantly allow users to switch between playback devices.
Apart from that, Samsung claims that the revamped quick notification panel "lets you switch between your music and videos seamlessly."
User interface changes
There are a lot of UI changes in Samsung One's latest UI update, starting with the Settings menu, which looks more refined and features new icons. Apart from that, a transparent background now accompanies the app drawer, folders, and Finder.
There is a revamped vertical volume slider with a transparent background. Tap the slider to show more vertical volume sliders for different settings. There is also a button for live captions, although it is only available on supported devices such as the Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Note 20 series.
One cool feature of One UI 3.0 is that you can only add widgets by long pressing the app icon and choosing the widgets you want.
You can now lock your Samsung device by double-tapping on the home screen. The "Double-tap to sleep" option can be located under Motion & Gesture Settings.
Improved lock screen and always-on display
From small UI changes, the clock moved to the middle and the biometric icon is now slightly different.
The big changes include the added functionality of widgets, i.e. you can see widgets directly on the lock screen by tapping on the clock. Here you can add widgets for digital wellness, weather, Bixby routines, etc. Apart from that, the dynamic lock screen now has more categories of wallpapers, such as plants, cats, specials, etc.
Samsung also changed the Always-On (AOD) display a bit in One UI 3.0. You can now apply GIFs and still images as AOD wallpapers.
Phone app and messaging app
While there are slight changes in several Samsung apps in stock, the changes to the Phone and Messages apps are worth mentioning.
From the Phone app, you can now customize the call screen by changing the background and / or layout. The background can be set to a still image or a video. The phone app has a new option to help you quickly remove duplicate contacts in One UI 3.0 update.
In the Messages app, Samsung has added a new recycle bin in which deleted messages remain for up to thirty days.
Bubbles, notification history and single authorization
Bubbles is one of the greatest features of Android 11 and is therefore available on Samsung One UI 3.0 version.
For those who don't know, the One UI 3.0 feature lets you minimize conversations in a small circle that floats on your screen above all other apps. It's similar to Facebook Messenger chat heads, but only now is it expanding to all messaging apps. In the latest version of One UI, it is available under Settings -> Notifications -> Advanced settings> Floating icons.
Another cool feature of Android 11 that you will find in Samsung's advanced notification settings is called "Notification History". As the name suggests, you can see any missed notifications or pop-ups that you might have accidentally deleted.
One UI 3.0, based on Android 11, introduces unique permission settings where users can grant one-time app access permission for microphone, camera, or location.
Other characteristics
One of the best features of One UI 3.0 is the ability to "revert" edited images to their original version, even if the edited version was saved. Samsung claims that the camera app's autofocus and autoexposure functionality has also improved with the One UI 3.0 update.
Digital Wellbeing in One UI 3.0 version now comes with new options like a new screen time goal, weekly report trends, phone usage time while driving, and a few more.
Apart from that, Bixby Routines offers a cleaner user interface and now uses new conditions to trigger actions at any given time. You can even apply a custom icon for Bixby routines.
A device supported by UI 3.0
For now, only the Galaxy S20 line and Galaxy Note 20 line have received the One UI 3.0 public beta update. Obviously, these will also be the first to receive the OneUI 3.0 update.
The next one would definitely be the Samsung Galaxy S21 - the device is slated for release in early January and will most likely offer One UI 3.0 out of the box.
Apart from that, below is the samsung devices list who will likely get the One UI 3.0 Android 11 update. The listing is based on Samsung's policy of providing two Android upgrades to one device from the launch date. Flagships and some mid-rangers tend to get three Android upgrades.
- Galaxy a01
- Galaxy a10
- Galaxy a10e
- Galaxy a10
- Galaxy a11
- Galaxy a20
- Galaxy a20e
- Galaxy a20s
- Galaxy a21
- Galaxy a21s
- Galaxy a30
- Galaxy a30s
- Galaxy a31
- Galaxy a40
- Galaxy a41
- Galaxy A42 5G
- Galaxy a50
- Galaxy a50
- Galaxy a51
- Galaxy A51 5G
- Galaxy a60
- Galaxy a70
- Galaxy a70s
- Galaxy a71
- Galaxy A71 5G
- Galaxy a80
- Galaxy a8s
- Galaxy A90 5G
- Galaxy M01
- Galaxy m11
- Galaxy m21
- Galaxy m30s
- Galaxy m31
- Galaxy m31s
- Galaxy m40
- Galaxy m51
- Galaxy xcover 4s
- Galaxy Xcover FieldPro
- Galaxy xcover pro
- Galaxy S10e / S10 / S10 + / S10 5G
- Galaxy s10 lite
- Galaxy Note 10 / Note 10+ (LTE / 5G)
- Galaxy note 10 lite
- Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra
- Galaxy S20 / S20 + / S20 Ultra (LTE / 5G)
- Galaxy S20 FE
- Galaxy Fold (LTE / 5G)
- Galaxy Z Flip (LTE / 5G)
- Galaxy z fold 2
- Galaxy tab s5e
- Galaxy tab s6
- Galaxy tab s6 lite
- Galaxy Tab S7 / Tab S7 +
- Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2019
- Galaxy Tab A 8.0 2019
- Galaxy tab a7
- Galaxy Tab Active Pro
So, here are the best features of One UI 3.0 and the list of devices that will receive the update. Note that One UI 3.0 is still in beta, so Samsung may add or remove a handful of features. Additionally, some features of OneUI 3.0 are only supported by premium and mid-range Samsung devices.
Let us know in the comments below if we've missed anything.
Samsung One UI 3.0 Android 11 features, release date, supported devices appeared first on Fossbytes.