Chances are that One UI 3.5 doesn't exist and Samsung's next major update to its custom user interface for Android will be called One UI 3.1.1. The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 will ship with One UI 3.1.1, and Samsung will then start updating existing smartphones with the new UI version. As to which devices will receive One UI 3.1.1 and when, it's early to tell with certainty, but there are clues that might bring us closer to the truth. Let's have a look.
Last year, the Galaxy S20 series made the jump to One UI 2.5 a couple of weeks after the software was announced alongside the Galaxy Note 20 lineup at Unpacked. And although no new Note model is coming this year, a Samsung forum moderator has already confirmed that One UI 3.1.1 will be released for the Galaxy S21 series around the end of August, not long after Galaxy Unpacked takes place on August 11.
Although there's no guarantee that One UI 3.1.1 will follow the same release schedule as One UI 2.5 did a year ago, an August launch for the Galaxy S21 suggests that history might be holding the answers, and a similar schedule could be planned for the upcoming update.
When will Samsung start rolling out the One UI 3.1.1 update, and for which devices?
If One UI 3.1.1 debuts with the upcoming foldable duo and is planned to go live for the Galaxy S21 series in August, it's highly probable that the rollout will then expand to the Galaxy S20 and existing foldable devices within weeks.
As a reminder, One UI 2.5 expanded globally within a month of its original release. It quickly became available for the Galaxy Z Flip, the Galaxy S10 series, the Galaxy Note 10/10+ and the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, the Galaxy S10 Lite, as well as the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9. The Galaxy Tab S6 was also updated to One UI 2.5 in September 2020.
In October-November 2020, Samsung turned its attention towards cheaper devices from the Galaxy A and M lineups. One UI 2.5 was released for the Galaxy A51 and A31, the Galaxy A71, A70, and A70s, as well as the Galaxy M31s.
One UI 3.1.1 could follow a similar pattern
By this logic, we can speculate that One UI 3.1.1 could become available for the Galaxy Z Flip, the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy Note 20, as well as the Galaxy S20, and possibly the Galaxy Note 10 lineups in late August and/or early September.
We can also hope for One UI 3.1.1 to be released for the Galaxy A52, the Galaxy A71, and possibly the Galaxy M32 in October-November. Samsung will then slowly turn its focus on One UI 4.0 before launching the firmware in January along with the Galaxy S22 flagships. It's possible that only a fraction of Galaxy devices will receive One UI 3.1.1, while the majority could skip this version and go straight for One UI 4.0 next year.
Galaxy devices that will be eligible for One UI 4.0
Keep in mind that this is not a definitive list, but one that paints a possible future based on Samsung's recent history surrounding new One UI updates. As always, we'll keep you posted as soon as we find out more, and we'll keep our firmware database updated with new One UI versions as they go live. Stay tuned, and feel free to let us know what Galaxy device you're looking forward to updating to One UI 3.1.1.
