Galaxy S21 Ultra One UI 3.1 reveals interesting new features

Whenever Samsung launches a new, high-end flagship, it often launches a new version of its custom Android experience designed specifically for the new phones. To some extent, the software confirms and reveals some of the features and hardware that the hardware will be capable of, like camera resolutions or even batteries. The One UI 3.1 release performs exactly that purpose and this early look not only confirms specs we've already heard of but even new features that will admittedly make the Galaxy S21 Ultra a bit more interesting.

It is already known by now that Samsung's most premium early 2021 model will support the S Pen, something confirmed by the presence of S Pen features in One UI 3.1. Of course, this version of Samsung's UX will also make it to Galaxy Note devices but the S Pen features are always disabled for the Galaxy S line. The phone's settings also confirm that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a massive 5,000 mAh battery and 16GB of RAM.

There are also new features revealed in this video from Jimmy is Promo, many of them unsurprisingly revolving around the camera. You can, for example, record video from both back and front cameras at the same time or have portrait mode, a.k.a. boke simulation, for video recording. A few more options have also been added, like a 3:4 ratio and a resolution picker in the video recording screen directly.

The video also reveals some productivity features, like being able to seamlessly switch between the Galaxy S21 Ultra and a Samsung tablet, at least if you're using Samsung Internet and Samsung Notes only. Confirming a previous leak, Samsung will allow users to choose between Google Discover or its own Samsung Free, previously Samsung Daily, on their home screen.

The Samsung One UI 3.1 release will be a comparatively small update but it seems it will still be bringing big features to the table. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, which is likely to be announced on January 14, will launch with this version of Samsung's software but there is no word yet on when it will roll out to the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 series.