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Samsung One UI 3.0 beta is available to Galaxy Note 20 owners (Update)
- Samsung is making its One UI 3.0 beta available for the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra.
- You’ll need an unlocked, Sprint, or T-Mobile device to give it a try in the US
- The update is also reportedly rolling out to users in India and Germany.
Update: October 23, 2020 (1:55 AM ET): Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series owners in India and Germany are now getting a slice of the update pie. According to SamMobile, the One UI 3.0 beta update is rolling out to users in those countries, following the debut of the update in the US earlier this week. Users will still need to register to partake in the rollout via Samsung’s Members app.
Original article: October 21, 2020 (5:53 PM ET): You don’t have to own a Galaxy S20 to test Samsung’s latest interface. Samsung’s One UI 3.0 beta is available for the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, bringing a taste of Android 11 to the company’s pen-equipped smartphones.
You’ll need a Sprint, T-Mobile, or unlocked version of the Galaxy Note 20 to try the One UI 3.0 beta. As before, you’ll have to sign up through a banner in the Samsung Members app. The company warns that it’s “speeding up” to provide a more stable release as we write this, so you might want to be patient if reliability (for a beta, anyway) is important to you.
The test release adds numerous interface tweaks as well as practical features. Some of them come directly from Android 11, such as a dedicated section for chats in your notification shade. You’ll also see refinements to Samsung’s web browser, the home and lock screens, and even contacts.
There are improvements for the ecosystem, too, such as expanded wireless DeX support and a SmartThings tie-in that provides clearly visible alerts if devices hear a ringing doorbell or crying baby. It’s not certain if there are any Galaxy Note 20-specific additions to the One UI 3.0 beta, but Samsung didn’t mention any in its announcement.
Samsung has already committed to releasing the polished version after November, and it’s unofficially expected by December. It hasn’t outlined the devices getting the beta after the Galaxy Note 20, but there could be a long list when Samsung is expanding updates to three years for many of its mid-range and high-end devices.