Samsung update is rolling out in December 2022 for these Galaxy devices

The latest wave of Samsung Galaxy phones will receive its latest security update in December 2022. Here’s how the Korean tech giant is handling the rollout.

Samsung December 2022 Security Update – Here’s what’s new:

Every month, Google and its partners push out a new Android security patch that provides solutions to known issues in the mobile operating system. The security patch that you will receive on your Galaxy phone includes a number of fixes from the December 1, 2022 and previous November 5 bulletin. Between the two, 43 fixes are marked as “high risk” and only one is marked as “critical”.

The patch notes are provided by Samsung, updates for their devices include a number of fixes for the Galaxy. According to the company’s official patch notes, the December update for Samsung phones adds 93 more security vulnerabilities including five designated as “critical”.

Samsung continued to roll out Android 13 with One UI 5.0, which continues this time around. This update is somewhat minor compared to what we see on Google Pixel phones. However, there are still a number of changes and tweaks which you can see in the full hands-on video below:

Devices with Samsung December 2022 Security Update

In most cases, Samsung generally prioritizes its premium phones when it comes to new updates, with a big focus on the Galaxy S and foldable Galaxy Z series. From there, Samsung usually releases updates to its newer devices before older devices, in general.

This list will include a note on where the update first appeared and if it is also available in the US. As usual, the most recent additions will be marked in bold.

Galaxy S series

The pinnacle of Samsung’s lineup is the Galaxy S series. As you’d kind of expect, this series is often the first to get the latest OTA software. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes other devices get preferential treatment but mostly the S series is first in line.

In a strange move, Samsung pushed the December update for the Galaxy S20 series first. The entire Exynos group has already started seeing the correction in 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 United Kingdom.

Last year’s flagship Galaxy S21 series is the second S series device to see the latest patch. Unlocked Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra devices powered by Exynos processors have started receiving OTA notifications in Switzerland. As is often the case, we expect to see this expand to more regions over the coming weeks.

Although the Galaxy S10 is now in its final year of regular support, it will continue to get semi-regular updates for a little while longer. If you own the biggest and best Samsung phone from 2019 and live in Europe, you should be able to get the December 2022 security patch for Exynos 9820-based versions of the S10e, S10, and S10+. The patch has been confirmed to be rolled out in several European countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Southeast Europe, Switzerland, the Baltic region, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the Nordic region.

Surprisingly, the Galaxy S22 series is only now starting to get the December 2022 update despite it being Samsung’s biggest and best flagship yet. The OTA is rolling out in India, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and Vietnam. The good news here is that since Qualcomm units are also being updated, US owners should see the patch on their S22 models very soon.

• Galaxy S10e / S10 / S10 + – G97xFXXSGHVL1 (first introduced in Europe)
• Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra – G98xBXXSFGVK7 (first introduced in Europe)
• Galaxy S21 / S21 + / S21 Ultra – G991BXXU5DVKF (first introduced in Switzerland)
• Galaxy S22 / S22 + / S22 Ultra – S908EXXU2BVKM (first launched in India, EMEA)

Galaxy Z series

While the Galaxy S series is often sold as Samsung’s biggest and best lineup, the secret star of Samsung 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 wrapped into the Z series with each device being revised.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was updated early in the month with AT&T devices in the US able to get an OTA file on their foldable smartphone. At around 400MB, Samsung’s December update is fairly large for a monthly patch, but this includes all those important fixes and vulnerabilities.

Besides The Fold, the Flip lineup has grown year on year. It wasn’t until the third generation Galaxy Z Flip 3 that we were able to give the device our full seal of approval. Samsung’s smallest foldable device is still a great device that gives you the advantage of a compact folded form with a full-size non-folder. Your 2021 device will now start receiving the December 2022 security patch starting 8/12.

You also get the latest security patch for the previous flagship Galaxy Z Fold 3. Despite being a year old, it’s still an impressive smartphone that takes advantage of the best of Samsung but with the added small tablet form factor. The patch has started rolling out along with the Z Flip 3 update in European regions. Locked units can now also be updated in the US now that the patch has started heading to Z Fold 3 devices on Comcast Network.

• Galaxy Z Flip 3 – F711BXXS3DVKB (First launched in Europe)
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 – F926BXXS2DVKB (first introduced in Europe)
• Galaxy Z Fold 4 – F936U1UEU1BVKB (First launched in the US)
  • Available in the US: AT&T

Galaxy Note series

Samsung has confirmed that we are not likely to see any future Note devices. Sad to hear, we’re already starting to see many Note functions like the S Pen jump into the Galaxy S lineup. The advent of Samsung’s foldable phones was a warning sign that the days of the Note were numbered. However, there is still a large fan base and the final Samsung Galaxy Note phones are still supported for a little longer.

The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are one of the few that qualify for monthly patches. Samsung pushed the December security update to the duo, which was released back in August 2020. If you have either phone, you’ll still receive monthly patches for another year before quarterly updates become the norm. The update is rolling out now in Europe.

• Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra – N98xxXXS5GVK9 (first introduced in Europe)

Galaxy A series

While the Galaxy A series is not the cheapest of Samsung’s smartphone endeavors in all areas, in many parts of the world it does offer reasonable prices but with some key functionality. The Series A is offered at a number of price points, meaning you can pick and choose features without piling the cost on you.

The first A-series phone to get the December 2022 security update is the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G. This device has seen a limited release and is not available in all regions. Devices in Australia and New Zealand are starting to see the patch, but that’s lacking in the One UI 5.0 upgrade.

On the heels of the A90, the Galaxy A52s 5G has now started getting the December update in select European regions including Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. We expect a wider release in the coming days as this update hits both carrier and locked devices in those regions mentioned above.

That’s not all as One UI 5.0 is now rolling out for the previous generation Galaxy A51. This big upgrade includes all kinds of software tweaks but with its mid-December release, it fortunately includes the latest patch as well. If you have a 2020 device, you should already be able to get One UI 5.0 and Android 13 in Europe.

After pushing Android 13 and One UI 5.0 to the A51, Samsung is now seeding the update for Galaxy A71 5G units in select regions. This comes just nine months after the device received Android 12 and One UI 4.0. That’s not all because this also includes the December 2022 Samsung security update. Those in the UAE are in the first place to grab the big OTA, but it is expected to spread to more regions over the coming days.

• Galaxy A51 5G – A516BXXU5EVL2 (first launched in Europe)
• Galaxy A52s 5G – A528BXXS1DVL2 (first introduced in Europe)
• Galaxy A71 5G – A716BXXU6EVL2 (first launched in the UAE)
• Galaxy A90 5G – A908BXXS5EVK4 (first launched in Oceania)

How to check for the latest OTA on your Galaxy device

If your Samsung device has already been updated, but the December patch did not reach you personally, you can try to update manually. Simply open the Settings app, tap on Software Update, and select Download and Install.

This article was first published on December 7 and was most recently updated on Dec 13.

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