In an attempt to catch up with Apple's legacy software support for older iOS devices, Samsung now promises Galaxy users that they will receive security software updates for "at least four years" after a device's initial release.
Samsung and Android have long had a reputation for being a fragmented ecosystem when it comes to operating system updates. Unlike Apple, Samsung has multiple smartphone device lines, making it significantly more difficult to provide all of its devices with frequent software updates. Apple's software releases tend to support a number of older devices that have been superseded by newer models and are no longer sold by the company.
Update support: Apple remains a pioneer
For example, iOS 14 supports iPhone 6S models released in 2015. On average, Apple tends to support devices with major iOS updates for at least 5 years after their launch. It's important to note that Samsung's new commitment only targets security updates, not Android OS updates. Apple typically bundles security improvements and new features into a single update, but occasionally releases updates that focus solely on security patches. In November 2020, Apple released an update that focused on fixing major security issues for devices as old as the iPhone 5S, which was introduced in 2013. Samsung's new four-year security update promise only applies to devices released after 2019 published All devices released before this date are still subject to Samsung's old policy.
Samsung software updates: “As long as the hardware allows it”
The Korean smartphone maker has previously provided updates for its devices for at least two years after launch, so the new announcement effectively doubles the timeframe. However, as The Verge notes, Samsung stated that devices will receive "regular updates," which is the lowest level of update frequency. This level is typically reserved only for devices that are no longer supported by Samsung but still receive updates, without a set schedule. In contrast, Google only promises "at least three years" of security updates for its Pixel phones. Last year, Samsung promised to provide some of its devices with "three generations" of Android updates after the initial launch, but only for the S, N, and Z series. The A series, the lower-end models of Galaxy devices, will receive software updates "as long as the hardware allows," according to a statement provided to The Verge. placed was. (Photo by Eremin / Bigstockphoto)
