Samsung’s One UI 3.0 interface based on Android 11 arrived at the same time as the new Galaxy S21 launches last month. But Samsung is not done with its software updates yet, and this time, foldable phones are the big beneficiaries.
The One UI 3.1 update has been released and is coming to Samsung phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip. This is noteworthy because Samsung says the latest update has a number of improvements specifically aimed at its foldable devices.
Highlights for folding phone users include improvements to Multi-Active Windows, a multitasking feature. You use Multi-Active Windows to run multiple applications, allowing you to do things like search for something while watching a video.
In One UI 3.1, you can now bring up to three different multi-active windows on the main screen of your foldable phone. In Z Fold 2, you can bring two multi-active windows from the internal screen to the external screen of the phone. You also gain the ability to launch multi-active windows from the Quick Panel notification center.
A 3.1 UI also simplifies the process of turning off the screen by adding a Palm Touch feature to turn off the screen. Enable this feature and you can put any screen on your Galaxy Z Fold 2 to sleep simply by touching it with the palm of your hand or by double tapping.
The update also brings greater flexibility to the Samsung folding camera. When you choose to shoot in Flex mode, you can change the way the controls are positioned so that it’s more comfortable to start shooting. Samsung has also implemented the Share and Delete buttons in the Flex view mode.
Video calls in Flex mode have also been enhanced. When making calls in Flex mode, Z Fold 2 users can now choose to fill the top half of their screen with the video stream of whoever is connected.
The enhanced update is expected to arrive on a variety of devices soon, with the Galaxy S10, Note 20 and Note 20 models also receiving One UI 3.1
The focus on foldable features in this update shows that Samsung takes the creation of more conventional devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip very seriously. Around the beginning of the year, Samsung’s TM Roh promised the company would make foldable “more accessible to everyone” during 2021. Last week, Samsung launched 100-day tests for your foldable phones in an effort to encourage more people to consider them.