Samsung is bringing One UI 3.1 to some of its older devices released last year, bringing some features of the newly-launched Galaxy S21 to users on older devices. The update will be available for the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series, as well as the Galaxy Z Fold2 and Galaxy Z Flip family.
Most of the changes brought are focused on camera features, like an improved single take mode, which records up to 15 seconds of footage and saves the best moments as pictures. Another new camera feature in One UI 3.1 is the object eraser (seen above), which lets you remove certain objects from pictures after they've been taken.
Another improvement in this update is the improved touch autofocus and exposure controller. You can slide left or right on the screen to adjust the brightness of a shot before taking it. A potentially more interesting addition is multi mic recording, which lets you use the microphone from your phone as well as the microphone from connected devices such as wireless earbuds to record audio from two different sources in a video.
Outside of the camera, another new feature is the improved Eye Comfort Shield mode, which will adjust the blue light filter on the display automatically based on the lighting around you throughout the day, though you can also schedule it for specific times.
For privacy improvements, Samsung has added the ability to remove location metadata from pictures before sharing them, and there's also a new Private Share feature that lets you control who can access the content you share and for how long. Finally, One UI 3.1 also enables the Auto Switch feature on the Galaxy Buds+, Buds Live, and Buds Pro, meaning the earbuds will seamlessly transition between Galaxy devices as you switch from one to the other.
If you're more interested in tablets, Samsung also announced an update for the Galaxy Tab S7 family, and the focus here is more on the S Pen. For starters, the Samsung Notes app will make it easier to scan documents with the camera and start taking notes on them right away. Samsung is also adding a new Pen to text option, which will convert handwriting into proper text in the app. Additionally, the update will make it possible to use the S Pen to fill in forms that usually require keyboard input, and it will support handwriting gestures like drawing a V to add a space between words.
Finally, the update will also enable the 360 Audio feature of the Galaxy Buds Pro. This feature adjusts the audio from a movie or video so it adapts to your head's position as you move around.
Samsung didn't specify when the One UI 3.1 update will be available for its devices, but the S Pen features for the Galaxy Tab S7 family should begin rolling out by the end of February.
