by The latest wave of Samsung Galaxy phones is getting the latest December 2022 security update. Here’s how the Korean tech giant is handling the rollout.
Samsung December 2022 Security Update: Here’s What’s New:
Each month, Google and its partners release a new Android security patch that provides fixes to known issues with the mobile operating system. The security patch you’ll receive on your Galaxy phone includes a number of fixes from the December 1, 2022 bulletin and the previous November 5 bulletin. Between the two, there are 43 fixes marked as “high” severity and only one marked as “critical.”
The patch notes are provided by Samsung, as updates for their devices include a number of Galaxy-specific fixes. According to the company’s official patch notes, the December update for Samsung phones adds 93 more security vulnerabilities, including five marked “critical.”
Samsung continued the Android 13 rollout with One UI 5.0, which continues this time around. This update is quite minor compared to what we see on Google Pixel phones. That said, there are still a number of tweaks and tweaks that you can see in our full hands-on video below:
Devices with the December 2022 Samsung Security Update
For the most part, Samsung generally prioritizes its more premium phones when it comes to new updates, with a particular focus on the Galaxy S series and foldable Galaxy Z. From there, Samsung usually rolls out updates to its newer devices before older ones, in general.
This list will include a note on where the update first debuted and if it’s also available in the US. As usual, the latest additions will be reported Bold.
Galaxy S series
The peak of the Samsung range is the Galaxy S series. As you would expect, this series is often the first to receive the latest OTAs. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes other devices get preferential treatment, but mostly the S-series is the front of the line.
In a strange move, Samsung pushed the December update to the Galaxy S20 series earlier. The entire Exynos range is already starting to see the patch in large areas 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 only the second S-series device to see the latest patch. Unlocked Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra devices powered by Exynos processors are starting to receive OTA notifications in Switzerland. As is often the case, we expect to see this expansion across more regions in the coming weeks.
While the Galaxy S10 is now in its last year of regular support, it will continue to receive semi-regular updates for a while longer. If you own the biggest and best Samsung phone of 2019 and you live in Europe, you should be able to get the December 2022 security patch for the Exynos 9820 versions of the S10e, S10, and S10+. The patch has been confirmed to roll out to a multitude of European countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South-Eastern Europe, Switzerland, Baltic Region, Czech Republic, Netherlands , and the Nordic region.
Surprisingly, the Galaxy S22 series is only now starting to receive the December 2022 update despite being Samsung’s biggest and best flagship to date. This OTA is rolling out in India, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam. The good news here is that as Qualcomm units are also being updated, US owners should see the patch on their S22 models very soon.
- Galaxy S10e / S10 / S10+ — G97xFXXSGHVL1 (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra — G98xBXXSFGVK7 (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra — G991BXXU5DVKF (First released in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra — S908EXXU2BVKM (first released in India, Europe, Middle East, Asia)
Galaxy Z series
While the Galaxy S series is often sold as the biggest and best range of Samsung phones, the secret star of Samsung devices is undoubtedly the Z series. The future is foldable and the Korean tech giant is leading the market in this new factor of form. The Z Fold is the spiritual successor to the now defunct Note series. This means that features are slowly being built into the Z series with each revision of the device.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was updated earlier this month with devices on AT&T in the US able to grab the OTA file on their foldable smartphones. At around 400MB, Samsung’s December update is big enough for a monthly patch, but it includes all those important fixes and vulnerabilities.
Alongside the Fold, the Flip lineup has grown year on year. It wasn’t until the third-generation Galaxy Z Flip 3 that we could give the device a full seal of approval. Samsung’s smallest foldout is still a fantastic device that offers the benefit of a compact folded form with a full-sized device unfolded. The 2021 device is now starting to receive the December 2022 security patch effective 8/12.
You can also grab the latest security patch for the former flagship Galaxy Z Fold 3. Despite being a year old, it’s still an impressive smartphone that takes the best of Samsung but with the addition of the mini-tablet form factor. The patch began rolling out at the same time as the Z Flip 3 update in European regions. Even carrier-locked units in the US can now be updated after the patch begins rolling out to Z Fold 3 devices on the Comcast network.
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 — F711BXXS3DVKB (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 — F926BXXS2DVKB (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 — F936U1UEU1BVKB (First released in the US)
- Available in US: AT&T
Galaxy Note series
Samsung has confirmed that it’s unlikely we’ll see any future Note devices. Sad as it is to hear, we’ve already started to see many Note features like the S Pen make the leap into the Galaxy S lineup. The advent of foldable Samsung phones was a warning sign that the Note’s days were numbered. That said, there is still a sizable fan base and the latest Samsung Galaxy Note phones are still being supported for a while yet.
The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are among the few that are eligible for the monthly patches. Samsung pushed the December security update to the duo, which released in August 2020. If you have either phone, you’ll still get monthly patches for another year before quarterly updates become the norm. The update is now available in Europe.
- Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra — N98xxXXS5GVK9 (released first in Europe)
A-series galaxy
While not the cheapest of Samsung’s smartphones in all regions, in many parts of the world the Galaxy A series offers affordable prices but with some flagship features. The A-series is offered at a range of price points, and that means you can pick and choose features with no stacking cost to you.
The first A-series phone to receive 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 are missing the One UI 5.0 update.
Building on the A90, the Galaxy A52s 5G is now starting to receive the December update in select European regions including Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. We expect a wider rollout in the coming days as This update affects carrier locked and unlocked devices in the areas mentioned above.
That’s not all because One UI 5.0 is now rolling out for the previous generation Galaxy A51. This sizable update includes all kinds of software tweaks, but with the mid-December launch, thankfully it also includes the latest patch. If you have the 2020 device, you should already be able to get One UI 5.0 and Android 13 in Europe.
Just after pushing Android 13 and One UI 5.0 to the A51, Samsung is now seeding the update to 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, as it also includes Samsung’s December 2022 security update. Those in the UAE are first in line to grab the sizable OTA, but it’s expected to roll out to more regions in the coming days.
- Galaxy A51 5G — A516BXXU5EVL2 (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy A52s 5G — A528BXXS1DVL2 (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy A71 5G — A716BXXU6EVL2 (First released in UAE)
- Galaxy A90 5G – A908BXXS5EVK4 (released first in Oceania)
How to check the latest OTA on your Galaxy device
If your Samsung device is expected to have already been updated, but the December patch hasn’t arrived for you personally, you can try updating manually. Just open the Settings app, tap on “Software Update” and choose “Download and Install”.
This article was first published on December 7 and most recently updated on December 13.
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