Galaxy Note 9 users might get the One UI 2.1 update after all

Samsung has always done a commendable job of bringing features from its newer releases to older phones. Recently, Samsung made the Galaxy S20 series' One UI 2.1 software available to Galaxy S10 and Note 10 phones.

Initially, ever older Galaxy S9 and Note 9 phones were supposed to get the update, but Samsung reportedly scrapped the idea due to unknown reasons. As expected, the community was not pleased and urged Samsung to reconsider its decision. The outcry seems to have worked, as Samsung is reportedly working on making the software available for the Galaxy Note 9.

Sammobile stumbled upon a post on Samsung's community forums in which a moderator states that the process of bringing One UI 2.1 to the Galaxy Note 9 is 'under review.' While there may still be hope for Galaxy Note 9 owners to get One UI 2.1, things look grim for Galaxy S9 users. Both phones have nearly identical hardware, so if one phone gets it, the others will too. The moderator rounds things off by stating that the review process could take time, meaning that it'll be a while before we hear anything official about it.

Strictly speaking, there is no reason for Samsung to deny Galaxy Note 9 owners access to One UI 2.1. Some of the more hardware-bound features, such as the 120Hz screen refresh rate toggle, won't work, but the devices could still take advantage of some of the other perks such as Quick Share, Music Share, and Pro Video mode in the camera app. Single Take Mode could be a bit tricky to implement, considering that the Galaxy S9 and Note 9 have fewer camera sensors compared to its successors.

Even if none of One Ui 2.1's camera-centric features work with the Galaxy S9 and Note 9, users can still take advantage of the file-sharing services offered by the update. Android has always lacked a native file-sharing solution, and a lot of users will be pleased to use Samsung's application instead of third-party alternatives sourced off the Play Store.