An unexpected new update is rolling out to quite a few Samsung phones. The Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S23 series (S23 FE included), Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy A54 are getting their second April software update in the European region.
This update appears to be exclusive to European users and has to do with 4G network compatibility. According to the changelog, which is common to all of these devices, “support for regional 4G TDD frequency band type has been updated.”
Samsung also notes that anyone who purchased their phone in Germany will not be able to use 4G networks on TDD (time division duplexing) frequency bands in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Czech Republic. However, 4G networks in these markets mostly use the FDD (frequency division duplexing) frequency bands, so the update shouldn't cause any issues for users.
Samsung doesn't say why this update was released, and given how uncommon and unexpected it is, we don't see a reason to speculate. Samsung could provide more information later on, however, and we have also reached out to the company for a comment.
Galaxy S24, S23, Fold 5, Flip 5, and A54 owners in Europe should be able to download the new update by opening their phone's Settings » Software update menu and selecting Download and install. You may also want to check for a similar update if you have a device not mentioned here.
