The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Four is an improve on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold three in a lot of methods, however whereas it packs a sooner chipset and different {hardware} enhancements, a few of the greatest options are on the software program aspect, and a minimum of certainly one of these software program tips may very well be coming to older Galaxy Z Fold fashions.

That’s in accordance with leaker @TheGalox_ (opens in new tab), who claimed on Twitter that earlier Samsung Galaxy Z Fold fashions might be getting the brand new taskbar function alongside One UI 4.1.1 later this 12 months.

The taskbar they talked about is a brand new bar that sits on the backside of the display and is seen once you’re in apps. It homes shortcuts to favourite apps, together with icons for not too long ago used apps, and you may drag any of those as much as open them in split-screen mode, so it simplifies multitasking.

Earlier Galaxy Z Fold gadgets will get the brand new Taskbar launched with the Z Fold4 alongside One Ui 4.1.1 “later this 12 months” pic.twitter.com/PUBxGpyfNIAugust 13, 2022

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It’s a really helpful function, and one which helps you take advantage of the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s massive display, so it might be a helpful improve for older fashions in the event that they do get it too.

The wording of the tweet above doesn’t make it completely clear whether or not each earlier Fold mannequin will get this function or simply some, however on condition that even the unique Samsung Galaxy Fold has been up to date to One UI 4, we’d assume there’s a excessive likelihood it’ll get One UI 4.1.1, with the taskbar included.

After all, as with every leak we’d take this with a pinch of salt, particularly because the supply doesn’t have as a lot of a monitor report as some. However it’s a plausible declare, as we wouldn’t assume there’s any cause Samsung couldn’t replace the older fashions so as to add the taskbar.

Evaluation: including the taskbar might imply shifting to Android 12L

The taskbar function discovered on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Four is definitely an Android 12L function – that being Google’s model of Android 12 that’s designed particularly for tablets and different giant display gadgets, resembling foldable telephones.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Four runs this, so if Samsung is including the taskbar to different Fold fashions that may imply they’ll additionally get Android 12L.

That may make sense, because the Android expertise has at all times been barely missing on tablets and foldables, and corporations resembling Samsung have needed to decide up the slack and modify Android to make it work higher on them.

So a transfer to Android 12L would make for a greater expertise with much less work required from producers. Within the case of the Galaxy Z Fold line it might additionally make a few of the greatest foldable telephones even higher.