Longer-lasting software support has long been one of the factors pointed out when talking about the advantages of iOS compared to Android. In recent years, we've seen an increasing amount of effort from some companies to keep devices updated, with Google itself offering three years of feature and security updates for its Pixel devices.
Now, Samsung is trying to take things a step further by offering a minimum of four years of security updates for its Galaxy devices. Depending on the device you have and how old it is, security updates may be rolled out on a monthly or quarterly basis, but either way, getting security updates for four years is a welcome boon if you want your devices to last longer.
This isn't just a benefit for the latest devices coming out this year, either, nor does it target just flagships. Samsung provides a decently long list of devices that will be eligible for the extended security update period, going back to the Galaxy S10 and Note10 families, the Galaxy A series, and a wide range of tablets. Here's the full list provided by Samsung:
- Galaxy Foldable devices: Fold, Z Fold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G
- Galaxy S series: S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, S10 Lite, S20 5G, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy Note series: Note10, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy A series: A10e, A20, A50, A11, A21, A51, A51 5G, A71 5G
- Galaxy XCover series: 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+
It's worth noting that this support period is even longer than what Google promises for its own Pixel phones - though it should be remembered that these are minimum support periods, and Google has supported some of its phones for longer than the minimum. Either way, if you happen to own or you're considering getting one of these devices, you may rest assured your phone or tablet will be kept safe for a while longer. This doesn't, however, include new Android feature updates, so you won't necessarily getting Android 12 or 13 when those versions are released.
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