The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is an upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 in a number of ways, but while it packs a faster chipset and other hardware improvements, some of the best features are on the software side, and at least one of these software tricks could be coming to older Galaxy Z Fold models.
That’s according to leaker @TheGalox_ (opens in new tab), who claimed on Twitter that previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold models will be getting the new taskbar feature alongside One UI 4.1.1 later this year.
The taskbar they mentioned is a new bar that sits at the bottom of the screen and is visible when you’re in apps. It houses shortcuts to favorite apps, along with icons for recently used apps, and you can drag any of these up to open them in split-screen mode, so it simplifies multitasking.
Previous Galaxy Z Fold devices will get the new Taskbar introduced with the Z Fold4 alongside One Ui 4.1.1 “later this year” pic.twitter.com/PUBxGpyfNIAugust 13, 2022
It’s a very useful feature, and one that helps you make the most of the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s big screen, so it would be a handy upgrade for older models if they do get it too.
The wording of the tweet above doesn’t make it totally clear whether every previous Fold model will get this feature or just some, but given that even the original Samsung Galaxy Fold has been updated to One UI 4, we’d think there’s a high chance it will get One UI 4.1.1, with the taskbar included.
Of course, as with any leak we’d take this with a pinch of salt, especially as the source doesn’t have as much of a track record as some. But it’s a believable claim, as we wouldn’t think there’s any reason Samsung couldn’t update the older models to add the taskbar.
Analysis: adding the taskbar could mean moving to Android 12L
The taskbar feature found on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is actually an Android 12L feature – that being Google’s version of Android 12 that’s designed specifically for tablets and other large screen devices, such as foldable phones.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 runs this, so if Samsung is adding the taskbar to other Fold models that might mean they’ll also get Android 12L.
That would make sense, as the Android experience has always been slightly lacking on tablets and foldables, and companies such as Samsung have had to pick up the slack and modify Android to make it work better on them.
So a move to Android 12L would make for a better experience with less work required from manufacturers. In the case of the Galaxy Z Fold line it could also make some of the best foldable phones even better.
