Samsung will not change their update policy for new smartphones
By now most of us are already aware of Samsung’s update policy and it is something that we keep in mind when our smartphones are getting older. The new flagship devices from Samsung, the Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy Z Flip are significantly more expensive than the previous devices and so people are now asking if they will be changing this policy. Unfortunately, though, it seems like the Korean OEM will be sticking with their standard firmware update schedule for these devices as of now.
In case you’re one of those that are not so familiar with this update policy, Samsung smartphones are eligible for two major Android OS updates, regular monthly security patches for three years, and quarterly security patches on its 4th year. This means that the Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip will be getting Android 11 and Android 12 eventually and the aforementioned regular security updates.
SAM Mobile says that the two devices were recently added to the list of devices that are eligible for the monthly security updates. There’s no indication that they will be changing their update policy for these devices anytime soon unless they’re hiding a surprise under their sleeves or they change their minds later on. For now, it’s still business as usual for all the devices. In fact, recently, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 users recently got confirmation that their OS update days are over.
For owners of the new flagship devices, most of which cost more than $1,000, it is not unthinkable that they expect longer update periods for their devices given what they had to shell out. We’ve been seeing Samsung and other OEMs steadily increasing the prices of their flagship devices and so some are also expecting that they would receive more than just two major Android OS updates.
In case Samsung does change their mind, we’ll be updating you on this matter. But for now, be of the mindset that your current smartphone should still just last you around 3-4 years, if you want regular updates.
