Samsung is reportedly rolling out the first software update for the Galaxy S9 series in more markets after the software package was initially released in smaller numbers in Germany and in the United States for T-Mobile’s variants. Much like the initial release from less than a week ago, the latest software update aims to improve the stability of the Face unlock functionality as well as the Camera application, all the while introducing the Android security patch for the month of March. The software package weighs around 250MB, it is labeled as version “G960FXXU1ARC5” and “G965FXXU1ARC5” for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus respectively, and it’s being distributed, as usual, over-the-air.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 series is already available in some regions, however, the global release of the device is scheduled for March 16 which means that more markets should receive the new flagship phones in less than 24 hours from the time of this writing. In many of these markets, new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus customers will be greeted with a fresh software update right out of the box, as the OEM is already expanding the availability of its first software update in anticipation of the smartphone’s release in more regions. As usual, the update can be acquired following a notification but users can attempt to trigger the process manually by accessing Settings and navigating to the Software update menu. Ensure that the smartphone is connected to a Wi-Fi network, and since the update might greet users during their unboxing experience, it’s recommended to double check whether the battery is fully charged before downloading and applying the new software.
As for the changelog, Samsung mentions only a couple of key changes as seen in the screenshot below, one of which should improve the Face unlock experience, though users who rely on the fingerprint sensor might not benefit from or care much about this aspect. Another fix is being issued to the Camera application which has reportedly been somewhat problematic at launch, with issues leading to unwanted device reboots and freezes during video recording for some users. This new software update arrives less than a couple of weeks after the release of the hardware itself, and Samsung will likely remain committed to fixing any new issues that may come up in the following months.