The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be arriving rather soon, if rumors are to be believed. But that doesn’t mean last year’s foldable flagship is going to be ignored. In fact the company just rolled out the One UI 5.1.1 beta for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, with a bunch of foldable-exclusive enhancements.
News of the beta comes from leaker IceUniverse, who posted details of the new software over on Twitter. It’s currently only available in South Korea, but it’s likely that the beta will be rolling out to other regions in the future — ahead of a stable release.
BREAKING！The Galaxy Z Fold4 in South Korea has started One UI 5.1.1 beta testing, and users have registered and received updates. pic.twitter.com/gyJHT0DJw1July 3, 2023
The biggest changes seem to be coming to the Z Fold 4’s taskbar. The first thing to note is the taskbar can now be configured to include four recently-used apps, auto-adjusting based on how many icons are actually present. The update also means it is easier to switch apps from pop-up to split-view, and can be done by dragging the handle to the side of the display.
The update also adds multi-window support in Flex mode for more apps, while the toolbar gets more customization options. That means you can add, remove and rearrange tiles however you see fit. Media controls have also had a minor change, offering buttons to skip ahead or back by 10 seconds.
Reverse wireless charging is also going to be better and more useful, offering the option to charge accessories when your Z Fold 4 is open or facing down. Other improvements include minor improvements to Quick Share, Samsung Health, and memory management.
There’s no news when the beta will be expanding elsewhere, but Z Fold 4 owners can join the One UI 5.1.1 beta in the Samsung Members app. Once available the latest beta updates will be sent to your phone. Given the foldable nature of the update, it’s very unlikely other Galaxy devices, like the Galaxy S23 will be getting the software. You’ll just have to wait for One UI 6, and Android 14.
There’s no telling when a stable release of One UI 5.1.1 might happen, and it’s not likely to be before the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Still it’s good to see that Samsung won't be ignoring its older devices, simply because a shiny new model has arrived.
