The latest wave of Samsung Galaxy phones is receiving the most recent December 2022 security update. Here’s just how the Korean tech giant is handling the rollout.
Samsung December 2022 security update – here’s what’s new:
Each and every month, Google and its partners push a new Android security patch that provides resolutions to known issues with the mobile operating system. The security patch that you’ll receive on your Galaxy phone includes a number of fixes from the December 1, 2022, bulletin and the previous November 5 bulletin. Between the two, there are 43 fixes marked as “high” severity and just one marked as “critical.”
Patch notes are provided by Samsung, as the updates for its own devices include a number of Galaxy-specific fixes. According to the company’s official patch notes, the December update for Samsung phones adds a further 93 security vulnerabilities including five that are marked as “critical.”
Samsung has continued the rollout of Android 13 with One UI 5.0, which continues this time around. This update is fairly minor compared to what we see on Google Pixel phones. That said, there are still a number of changes and tweaks that you can see in our full hands-on video below:
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Devices with the Samsung December 2022 security update
In most cases, Samsung generally gives priority to its most premium phones when it comes to new updates, with a major focus on the Galaxy S and foldable Galaxy Z series. From there, Samsung usually rolls out updates to its newer devices before older ones, generally speaking.
This list will include a note on where the update first debuted and if it is also available in the United States. As usual, the latest additions will be marked in bold.
The peak of the Samsung lineup is the Galaxy S series. As you’d kind of expect, this series is often first to get the latest OTAs. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes other devices do get preferential treatment but mostly the S series is first in line.
In a strange move, Samsung pushed the December update to the Galaxy S20 series first. The entire lineup is already starting to see the patch in vast swathes of Europe including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the Baltic region, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the UK.
- Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra — G98xBXXSFGVK7 (Released first in Europe)
While the Galaxy S series is often sold as the biggest and best Samsung phone lineup, the secret star of Samsung’s devices is undoubtedly the Z series. The future is foldable and the Korean tech giant is the market leader in this new form factor. The Z Fold is the spiritual successor to the now defunct Note series. This means that features are slowly being enveloped into the Z-series with each device revision.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was updated early in the month with devices on AT&T in the US able to grab the OTA file on their folding smartphones. At around ~400MB, Samsung’s December update is fairly large for a monthly patch, but this includes all of those important fixes and vulnerabilities.
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 — F936U1UEU1BVKB (Released first in the United States)
- Available in United States: AT&T
Although not the cheapest of Samsung’s smartphone endeavors in all regions, in many parts of the world the Galaxy A series offers affordable prices but with some flagship functionality. The A-series is offered at a number of price points, and this means that you can pick and choose features without stacking cost to you.
The first A series phone to get the December 2022 security update is the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G. This device saw a limited release and is not available in all regions. Devices in Australia and New Zealand are starting to see the patch, but this does lack the One UI 5.0 upgrade.
- Galaxy A90 5G — A908BXXS5EVK4 (Released first in Oceania)
How to check for the latest OTA on your Galaxy device
If your Samsung device is slated to have been updated already, but the December patch hasn’t arrived for you personally, you can try updating manually. Simply open the Settings app, tap “Software update,” and choose “Download and install.”
Author: Damien Wilde
Source: 9TO5Google