[Update: T-Mobile] Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is getting Android 11

Ben Schoon | Jan 18 2021 - 5:50 am PT

The more affordable but still excellent Galaxy S20 FE is one of our favorite Samsung phones of the year, which had us a bit disappointed that it was left out of Samsung’s initial Android 11 rollout. Now, Samsung is starting to roll Android 11 and One UI 3.0 to the S20 FE.

As reported by SamMobile, some users are getting Android 11 on the Galaxy S20 FE as of today. The update carries build number G780FXXU1BTL1 and comes with the December 2020 security patch. Previous rumors did pin a date this month, but other reports claimed January. In any case, we’re glad to see Android 11 already heading to the $699 smartphone.

The catch? So far, this update appears to only be rolling out in Russia. It’ll likely expand in reach over the coming days, but right now, we just don’t have any info available.

Update 12/24: Good news! It looks like the Galaxy S20 FE Android 11 update has launched globally, at least on unlocked models. SamMobile notes updates available in over a dozen countries, though carrier support may still delay the update for your model.

Update 1/7: According to a few Reddit users, the AT&T variant of the Galaxy S20 FE is getting its Android 11 update now. It does not appear that the unlocked version of the phone is getting this update yet.

Update 1/13: Verizon has just released Android 11 for its Galaxy S20 FE, detailing the update on a changelog. The update carries the December 2020 security patch. This leaves T-Mobile units as still lacking the update.

Update 1/18: Rounding out major carriers, T-Mobile has just released the Android 11 update for the S20 FE sold on its network (via PiunikaWeb).

With the Android 11 update, the S20 FE picks up changes from Google, including new notification categories, better media handling, and also bubbles for chat apps. Samsung’s skin also gets some pretty major design tweaks. Once the update reaches the US, we’ll have a better idea of any changes that arrive specifically for the FE.