One UI 6.1.1 could come to older Galaxy devices sooner than expected once it makes its debut on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 next month.
Samsung took considerably more time to bring One UI 6.1 to existing devices compared to One UI 5.1 and older versions.
Samsung hasn't officially said anything, but Galaxy AI was likely the reason why One UI 6.1 needed more time in the oven.
One UI 6.1.1 may not take as long as One UI 6.1 to get here
With One UI 6.1.1, Samsung will introduce new Galaxy AI features, so we have been expecting delays similar to One UI 6.1. However, it's possible the next One UI update for eligible Galaxy smartphones and tablets won't take too long to arrive.
Responding to complaints about some issues introduced on the Galaxy S23 FE with One UI 6.1, a moderator on Samsung's community forums let slip that the next One UI 6.1 upgrade will be “equivalent to One UI 6.1.1.”
That wording suggests that the next update for the phone will bring One UI 6.1.1 features. And if the S23 FE is getting One UI 6.1.1 soon, we see no reason to believe that many other devices won't get the update at around the same time.
It's worth noting that the list of devices eligible for One UI 6.1.1 will be small. These mid-year One UI updates usually focus on enhancing the user experience on foldables and tablets.
In fact, except for Samsung's foldables and tablets, any device that gets One UI 6.1.1 features will continue to show 6.1 as the One UI version in the software info menu.
Speaking of features, One UI 6.1.1, like One UI 6.1, is likely to be all about AI functionality. Samsung is rumored to be working on new AI features for photos and videos and improving existing Galaxy AI features.