Whenever Apple users want to take a little jab at those who use Android devices, they usually utter the same phrases: it’s usually about the unified ecosystem, software features like AirDrop, safety, clout, cameras, and the overall longevity of their devices. These are all understandably valid points. While all’s fair in love and war, Samsung is indirectly fighting back by continuing to provide updates for their older smartphones. Read about it here.
Let’s start off with their newer devices. Samsung has pushed the bar in recent years when it comes to security and OS updates. After all, a phone that is no longer being refreshed on the security side of things becomes a vulnerability just waiting to be hacked. That’s why the company promised three years worth of OS upgrades and four years of security updates with their 2019/2020 releases, then extended the period to 4/5 in 2021. The included devices not only encompass the flagship S, Z, and Note lineups; the inclusion of A-series phones is a welcome surprise.
A full list of devices receiving security updates is featured here. However, reports have just flown in regarding devices as old as nearly 7 years old receiving performance enhancements. We took out our trusty old Samsung Galaxy S7 to verify these claims, and lo-and-behold a GPS and performance update was waiting for us. Rumors are swirling around that the S6 might receive these changes as well. These legacy Samsung flagships are legendary for redefining the design of Android smartphones, and are more or less the same age as the Apple iPhone 6S. The main caveat here is that the 6S still managed to receive a firmware update in the form of iOS 14 last year, but these are topping out at Android versions 8.0 Oreo and 9.0 Pie.
The oldest Samsung smartphones to receive the updates are the Galaxy Alpha (2014) and the Galaxy S5 Neo (2015). These senior citizens of the mobile smartphone world are now given some new life through some fixes.
Despite Samsung’s claims that only phones released in 2019 onwards will have at least four years of security updates, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (arguably the best one ever) still manages to find itself on the list of models for quarterly security updates. It officially turns four today, released in August of 2018. They’re rewarding customers for investing in their devices and this is paying off well for the image of the brand.
Through this effort, it appears that Samsung devices are now setting yet another standard for software support. Whether or not other manufacturers can keep up is another story, but this little competition of theirs is a win-win for us as consumers.
