Samsung Becomes the First Android OEM to Offer Four Years of Security Updates
- Samsung now promises to deliver security updates to all devices for four years.
- This is longer than Android One devices, comparable to Pixels, and close to iPhones.
- The upgrade problem in the Android world is slowly but steadily being dealt with.
Samsung has taken a bold step that is guaranteed to open the way for more Android device vendors to follow. The Koreans have announced that all smartphones and tablets released after 2019 will be eligible for four years of security updates.
This is a move to catch up with what Apple is offering with the iOS, although Samsung would remain behind but not by as much. Also, it is important to clarify that “security updates” are no “OS updates,” so it doesn’t mean that all 2019 Samsung phones will get Android 14.
The company has previously promised three years of Android OS updates for its flagships, which is an entirely different thing from what is detailed in today’s announcement. So, the S series, Note series, the Foldable devices, the Tab S, and the top range models of the A-series will still get three major Android updates plus another year of security updates.
Having security updates on your device for four years means that you can safely use the same smartphone for as long as its battery will not start showing serious signs of fatigue. Google is pushing a rich set of fixes every month, and while device owners may not see any new features landing with these updates, they will still plug many security holes that are present under the hood, holding the potential to serve as entry points for determined hackers.
Four years is even more than what devices of the Android One program are offering - like those of Nokia, for example, which stop at three years.
The eligible devices are the following:
- Galaxy Foldable devices: Fold, Fold 5G, Z Fold2, Z Fold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G
- Galaxy S series: S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, S10 Lite, S20, S20 5G, S20+, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra, S20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy Note series: Note10, Note10 5G, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra, Note20 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy A series: Galaxy A series: A10, A10e, A10s, A20, A20s, A30, A30s, A40, A50, A50s, A60, A70, A70s, A80, A90 5G, A11, A21, A21s, A31, A41, A51, A51 5G, A71, A71 5G, A02s, A12, A32 5G, A42 5G
- Galaxy M series: M10s, M20, M30, M30s, M40, M11, M12, M21, M31, M31s, M51
- Galaxy XCover series: XCover4s, XCover FieldPro, XCover Pro
- Galaxy Tab series: Tab Active Pro, Tab Active3, Tab A 8 (2019), Tab A with S Pen, Tab A 8.4 (2020), Tab A7, Tab S5e, Tab S6, Tab S6 5G, Tab S6 Lite, Tab S7, Tab S7+
Last December, we saw Google and Qualcomm extending their partnership through the “Project Treble,” promising to deliver three Android OS upgrades to all Qualcomm-powered devices starting with the Snapdragon 888. The situation with upgrade delays in the Android world is gradually changing for the better, and Samsung’s move is building on top of that, destined to send ripples across the field.