Android 13 is in the process of rolling out on the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, bringing Google's latest operating system to some of the best phones you can buy today.

At a time when the cost of living is rising, it's good to find ways to do more with the technology you already have, and getting Android 13 on the Galaxy S22 is a long update some of the best Samsung phones have had to endure in the past means getting new software features without the wait. Android 13 gives devices like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra core software that is on par with that of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, which is another one of our picks for the best Android phones.

The Android 13 rollout has started in the U.S., but other countries are set to get the mobile operating system update shortly; if you have a Galaxy S22, go to its settings and have it wait it out! Tap the software update option to have the phone check if it has the update. I am in the UK and did that on my Galaxy S22 Ultra and the phone triggered to download Android 13.

Downloading Android 13 on a Galaxy phone also brings One UI 5, Samsung's latest skin for Android. This basically takes many of the features of Android 13 and adds the Samsung lick of software paint to them.

There are many updates with Android 13 and One UI 5, but alongside some visual tweaks, notable changes include the ability to customize the lock screen with more notification settings and have options like a live preview of what is in those notifications. It also allows users to choose different call backgrounds for each contact.

Speaking of screens, widgets on the home screen have been upgraded, allowing users to save screen space by stacking them without giving up a group of useful widgets. One such widget is the new Smart Suggestions one, which suggests what apps you might want to use, who you might want to call based on your phone-using habits, and other useful tips.

Another Android 13 feature I am eager to check out on the S22 Ultra is the ability to add watermarks to photos. I'm also excited to see that the S22's telephoto camera now supports a "Food" mode, allowing for better close-ups of carefully prepared brunch.

There are also a host of streamlined features, more photo editing capabilities and productivity tweaks; these should be ideal if you are a power user of the Galaxy S22 Ultra and its S Pen. New security options have also been added, including a maintenance mode that locks down the user's personal data if the phone needs repair, adding even more peace of mind to the overall Samsung Galaxy experience.

In short, if you don't already have Android 13 on your Galaxy S22, it may be worth a boost to your phone to check for updates. And if this has piqued your interest in getting a new phone, we'll be on the hunt from now on for Black Friday itself and Cyber Monday, so check out our Black Friday deals to see if there are any early Samsung phone deals Check out our live blog .

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