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It’s the first business day of 2024 and Samsung has already released a new security patch. The company is pushing the January 2024 security update to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. More Galaxy devices will join the party over the next few weeks.
Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 receive the January security update
As of this writing, Samsung is rolling out the January security patch to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 in Europe. The new firmware build numbers for the two devices are F936BXXS4EWL5 and F721BXXS4EWL5, respectively. The rollout will soon reach other markets, including the US.
The official changelog supplied by Samsung confirms that this update is all about the latest security fixes. “The device is protected with improved security,” the only entry in the changelog for both foldables reads. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 recently received the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update with several new features and functional improvements. The next feature update should be One UI 6.1.
Details about the vulnerabilities patched this month are not available yet. However, as usual, the new security update should contain several dozen Android OS patches from Google. A handful of those are expected to be critical security fixes. Samsung will bundle a few Galaxy-exclusive patches with the Android fixes. The latter group of patches doesn’t apply to Android products from other brands.
The January 2024 SMR (Security Maintenance Release), as Samsung calls its security updates, will gradually reach other eligible devices. The Korean firm pushes monthly security updates to its flagships and premium mid-range models for a few years after launch. They are then demoted to quarterly updates. Budget models start at quarterly updates and drop to bi-annual releases (two updates in a year) later.
One UI 6.1 will bring new features to these Samsung foldables
Samsung will introduce One UI 6.1 with the Galaxy S24 series later this month—expected to debut on January 17. The new One UI version, which is still based on Android 14, brings several new AI features. From AI wallpapers and lockscreen effects to AI-powered camera enhancements and editing tools, there is a lot to look forward to.
Following the Galaxy S24 launch, Samsung will update its older flagships to One UI 6.1. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 should also receive the update. However, we don’t expect all new AI features to trickle down to older models. The company may share more details following the unveiling of the new flagships. We will keep you posted accordingly.