In a surprising turn of events, Samsung has now confirmed that select Galaxy smartphones from 2021 and 2022 will receive the One UI 6.1 update alongside some Galaxy AI features. The news comes after earlier rumors suggested these devices might miss out on the AI functionalities.

There is a caveat, however. The 2021 flagships, including the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3, will gain access to a limited set of AI features. 

These features are Google Circle Search and functionality likely referring to Chat Assist, codenamed “Magic Rewrite” in the announcement. Chat Assist allows users to adjust the tone and style of messages through the Samsung Keyboard.

The 2022 flagships, which include the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and Galaxy Tab S8 series, will however receive a wider range of Galaxy AI features.

Yet, they will miss out on the Instant Slow-mo feature which enables users to slow down videos by long-pressing the screen. 

According to a Samsung Korea community moderator, the hardware limitations of the Exynos and Snapdragon chips used in these pre-2023 devices prevent them from supporting Instant Slow-mo.

Here’s a breakdown of the devices receiving One UI 6.1 with Galaxy AI features:

  • 2021 Flagships:
    • Galaxy S21 series
    • Galaxy Z Fold 3
    • Galaxy Z Flip 3 (Limited Features)
  • 2022 Flagships:
    • Galaxy S22 series
    • Galaxy Z Fold 4
    • Galaxy Z Flip 4
    • Galaxy Tab S8 series

The update rollout is scheduled for early May, although this timeframe might be specific to the Korean market. Samsung has yet to reveal a detailed global rollout schedule, so users in other regions might see the update arrive later in May or even beyond.

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