Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is the first tablet to receive the Android 13 update
Since rolling outOne UI 5 for the Galaxy S22 seriesin late October, Samsung has updated several of its devices to the newest Android release. This includes theentire Galaxy S21 family, S20 series,Z Fold 4, Flip 4, and the budget-oriented Galaxy A53. After Google,OnePlus was the first company to roll outAndroid 13to its flagship phone this year, but the Korean giant has been faster in expanding the update to a wide range of its devices in its roster. After phones, Samsung is now updating one of thebest Android tablets in 2022—theGalaxy Tab S8series—to One UI 5.
SamMobilereports the 5G variants of the Galaxy Tab S8,S8+, and S8 Ultra are getting the latest One UI release with the BVK4 firmware containing the November 2022 patch. This makes them the first tablets to run Android 13 on the market. For now, the build is only live in Europe, but it should make its way to the US and Wi-Fi variants sooner than later.
UnlikeAndroid 12L, which introduced massive multitasking improvements for tablets and big-screen devices, Android 13 does not focus solely on tablets. One UI 5 features deeper Material You integration with more options in the Color Palette for greater customization, better performance, smoother system animations, and enhanced OCR capabilities in the Gallery app. Bixby Routines has also been renamed to just Modes and Routines. You can read abouteverything new in One UI 5 here.
If you are in Europe, the One UI 5 update notification should automatically appear on your Tab S8. If not, navigate toSettings > Software Update > Download and Installto grab the firmware. The full firmware weighs over 1.8GB, so make sure to connect to a Wi-Fi network before starting the update process.
With itsexcellent software support, Samsung had already set the standard in the Android ecosystem. The company has further raised that bar by updating all its premium phones and tablets launched in the last couple of years to the latest Android release in such a short span.
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