With this update, older Samsung Galaxy devices are equipped with artificial intelligence.

Samsung has promised this: with One UI 6.1, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Z smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets can now take advantage of most of the AI ​​features of the new Galaxy S24.

If you have a Samsung smartphone from the S23 range released last year and have been hesitant to buy one of the new S24s available since the beginning of the year, you may have done the right thing by taking your time. Your S23 will suffer seriously once you install One UI 6.1. Samsung’s latest software update can be downloaded from Thursday, March 28, and it includes almost all the new features introduced in the S24 lineup. So it’s not about updating the façade a little, but about giving these previous generation mobiles the ability to use Samsung (and Google) style artificial intelligence. This means that you do not need to have the latest generation of mobile phones to take advantage of these benefits.

What are the new AI features for Galaxy?

We have installed the One UI 6.1 update on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. First observation: it works very well. We have not yet noticed any slowdowns in using the interface. Fluidity remains. We were then able to see that most of the features presented in Samsung’s commercials to promote the new Galaxy S24 meet this requirement.

Circle to search. A long press on the bar at the bottom of the screen launches a customized version of Google Lens, which surrounds the item on screen no matter what app is open and searches the web. A feature that is also available on Google Pixel 8 smartphones.

Translation of telephone conversations. We liked this feature while testing the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24/S24+. During a call, simply turn on the translator to have the conversation translated on the fly and in both directions by a synthetic voice. Very comfortably.

Translator’s assistant. And here, real-time translation is carried out during a personal conversation with the interlocutor. This is done in audio but is also transcribed on screen.

Automatic transcription. A voice recorder allows you to record discussions during a meeting. AI can translate information exchanges and produce summaries.

Text generation. Samsung’s virtual keyboard allows you to change text entered in a message, for example, by changing styles (professional, casual, etc.), check grammar and spelling, and translate text.

Translation and summary. In Samsung Internet Browser, you can request a translation of the displayed page and/or request a summary of the page for faster reading.

Image generation. Editing photos in the Gallery app lets you move elements of an image and replace the empty area with AI-generated content. It still works very well. It is also possible to copy an element from one image and paste it into another.

Controlled slow motion in videos. AI allows slow motion to be applied to videos that were not originally intended for it. For a sequence shot at 30 or 60 frames per second, slow motion can be applied at 240 frames per second (AI is responsible for generating intermediate frames to create the illusion). Please note that this feature is not available on Galaxy S23 FE.

Wallpapers created by AI. If you’re tired of your wallpaper, you can try creating new ones by asking artificial intelligence for help. The framework is still a bit strict (you have to choose from several options), but it’s fun.

Which devices are affected by One UI 6.1?

Samsung is currently offering its One UI 6.1 software update on a limited number of devices. But it’s not just smartphones that are affected.

The update will begin rolling out this Thursday, March 28th. To check if it’s available for your device, open Settings, then go to the Software Update menu at the bottom of the list. Then click “Download and Install”.

It is also possible that some of these new features will appear in the 2022 Galaxy S22 line of smartphones. Indeed, the Galaxy S23 FE, launched late last year and also featuring One UI 6.1, is powered by the same in-house Exynos 2200 SoC as the S22.