It has gotten pretty redundant by now to point out how amazing a job Samsung is doing of updating Galaxy devices to Android 13 and One UI 5.0. Samsung's been releasing the Android 13 update for Galaxy smartphones and tablets almost every single day over the last couple of months.
By the time this year ends, Samsung will probably have updated all eligible devices to Android 13, like the company suggested to us in our exclusive interview that you should check out. Again, it's redundant, but it bears repeating that Samsung has accomplished a monumental task: at the time of this writing, around 50 Galaxy devices are running Android 13 and One UI 5.0!
One of the good things about the One UI 5.0 rollout has been Samsung's indifference to the price tags of the devices it has updated till now. But you know what's even better? The fact that even though it looks like Samsung is just rushing through to meet deadlines, these updates have been surprisingly bug-free.
Android 13 is one of the least buggy major update from Samsung
While I initially used Android 13 on Samsung's latest flagship, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, I eventually started using it on the two-year-old Galaxy S20 Ultra. I then switched to a mid-range phone — the Galaxy A53 — to see how the non-flagship Galaxies were doing on the new version of Android and One UI. And in all three cases, I have not found any reason to complain.
Performance has improved on all of those devices (though it might just be that Samsung tweaked the animations a little to make it seem like your device is faster and/or smoother), and except for one or two app crashes on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, I've faced pretty much no problems. Yes, even the Galaxy S20 Ultra, one of Samsung's most messed up flagship phones in recent years, is doing great on what is its third (and final) major OS upgrade.
It's worth noting that I'm talking about the initial Android 13/One UI 5.0 firmware for all three devices, which means the updates Samsung has pushed out have been stable from day one. Again, your mileage may vary, but mine has been surprisingly fantastic and problem-free. The same goes for my colleague and friend Mihai, who has been enjoying his Galaxy S22+ and his Galaxy Tab S7 FE a lot more since Android 13 came along.
Essentially, Samsung has not only gone supersonic with the update's rollout speed, but it has also made sure that users have the best, most stable experience possible right from the start. It's mind-boggling, frankly, and at this point I can only ask: Will Samsung itself be able to match what it has achieved this year with future releases of big Android and One UI upgrades? Only time will tell.
P.S.: Not using a Galaxy phone that's eligible for the Android 13 update? That's an excellent excuse for checking out our holiday gift guide to see if you can find a newer Samsung device at a discount!