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.
Alongside the Fold, the Flip lineup has grown year-over-year. It was not until the third-generation Galaxy Z Flip 3 that we could give the device a full seal of approval. Samsung’s smaller foldable is still a fantastic device that gives the benefit of compact folded form with a full-sized unfurled device. The 2021 device is now starting to receive the December 2022 security patch as of 8/12.
You can also grab the latest security patch for the former flagship Galaxy Z Fold 3. Despite being a year old, it is still an impressive smartphone that leverages the best of Samsung but with the added mini-tablet form factor. The patch began rolling out simultaneously with the Z Flip 3 update in European regions.
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 — F711BXXS3DVKB (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 — F926BXXS2DVKB (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 — F936U1UEU1BVKB (Released first in the United States)
- Available in United States: AT&T
Samsung has confirmed that we’re unlikely to see any future Note devices. As sad as that is to hear, we’ve already started to see many Note functions like the S Pen make the jump to the Galaxy S lineup. The advent of foldable Samsung phones were a warning sign that the Note days were numbered. That said, there is still a sizable fanbase and the final Samsung Galaxy Note handsets are still supported for a little while longer.
The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are one of the few to be eligible for monthly patches. Samsung has pushed the December security update to the duo, which were released back in August 2020. If you have either phone, you’ll still receive monthly patches for a further year before quarterly updates become the norm. The update is rolling out now in Europe.
- Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra — N98xxXXS5GVK9 (Released first in Europe)
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.
Hot on the heels of the A90, the Galaxy A52s 5G is now starting to get the December update in selected European regions including Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. We’re expecting a wider rollout over the coming days as this update has hit carrier-locked and unlocked devices in those aforementioned areas.
That’s not all as One UI 5.0 is now rolling out for the previous generation Galaxy A51. This sizeable upgrade includes all manner of software tweaks but with the mid-December rollout, it luckily includes the latest patch too. If you have the 2020 device, you should already be able to get One UI 5.0 and Android 13 in Europe.
- Galaxy A51 5G — A516BXXU5EVL2 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy A52s 5G — A528BXXS1DVL2 (Released first in Europe)
- 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.”
This article was first published on December 7 and most recently updated on December 13.
Author: Damien Wilde
Source: 9TO5Google
