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Samsung is on a roll today. First, it released the November security patch to the past three generations of Fold-series foldables in international markets. The Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy Note 10 Lite were also added to the mix. It is now rolling out the new security update to the Galaxy S21 series, including the Galaxy S21 FE, and the Galaxy Note 20 series in the US.
Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Note 20 get the November update in the US
As of this writing, Samsung’s November SMR (Security Maintenance Release) is available for carrier-locked Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra in the US. The update comes with the firmware build number G99*USQS9EWK1 and, expectedly, doesn’t bring anything more than the latest security fixes. With the Android 14 and ONe UI 6.0 update just around the corner, it’s no surprise that Samsung isn’t pushing any other goodies.
It’s the same story for the Galaxy S21 FE as well. The rollout has begun for carrier-locked units with the firmware version G990USQS9EWK1 in tow. This update should soon reach the unlocked variants of all four Galaxy S21 models in the US. The phones have already received this month’s security patch in international markets. For the regular flagships, the new build number is G99*BXXS9EWJO. It is G990EXXS7EWK1 for the FE model (via SamMobile).
The Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, meanwhile, are completely new to the scene. And it’s a global rollout at once for the last Note phones. In the US, Samsung is pushing the November update to both carrier-locked and unlocked units, with build numbers N98*USQS5HWJ4 and N98*U1UES5HWJ4, respectively. In international markets, it is N98*BXXS8HWK1 (may vary in some regions).
The Note phones won’t get Android 14
As the build number suggests, this update for the Galaxy Note 20 duo is all about the latest security fixes (“S” as the sixth character from last indicates a security patch). However, that isn’t because Samsung is keeping new features for Android 14. The two Note phones won’t get the new Android version. They debuted with Android 10 and are only eligible for updates up to Android 13.
The Galaxy S21 series, meanwhile, will get Android 14 with One UI 6.0 on top. Samsung may begin the rollout later this month or in early December. It’s expected to update all eligible flagship models to One UI 6.0 before the end of the year. If you’re using one, keep checking for the big update. Go to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check. You can also stay tuned to stay informed.