How Long Does Samsung Support Its Phones? Let’s Find Out…
Samsung is one of the biggest phone companies on the planet. But how long does Samsung support its phones? Let’s find out…
Samsung makes A LOT of phones across a range of price points. You have its super expensive models like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy S21 Ultra, its mid-range ones like the Samsung Galaxy A72, and its budget Android phones which can go as low as $150 for a phone.
Samsung covers all the possible bases, essentially. And this is part of the reason why it is the biggest phone manufacturer on the planet, next to Apple and rising brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, and RealMe.
But if you buy a Samsung phone today, how long will it be supported? This is a good question to ask because modern phones, in order to function optimally, require regular software updates. Android isn’t like iOS for iPhone either. It can and is messy in most cases. But Samsung has upped its game in this regard quite a bit in recent years.
How Long Does Samsung Support Phones?
Back in 2020, Samsung announced that a bunch of its phones, henceforth, would be guaranteed three years’ worth of Android updates, matching the current leader in the Android market, Google with its support for its Pixel phones. This means Samsung supports its phones for three years. But all models will get four years’ worth of security updates regardless – that covers over 130 devices.
This means, if you buy a Samsung phone today, you’re covered for security updates for the next four years. And if you buy one of the Samsung phones listed below, you’ll get three years’ worth of Android updates as well as four years of security updates.
And, importantly, this applies to all of Samsung’s new phones too, so if you buy the Galaxy S22 you’ll get three years of Android updates and four years’ worth of security updates. Ditto the Galaxy S23 when that phone launches in 2023.
The reason Samsung has done this is simple: it knows that people stick with iPhones because they know they can and will be able to use their iPhones for years at a time. This is why they don’t mind paying more for an iPhone. In order to make itself more sticky, Samsung has effectively taken a leaf from Apple’s playbook and has fixed one of Android’s biggest problems – its sketchy updates.
Samsung Phones That Get Three Years of Android Updates
Here’s a list of ALL the current and available Samsung phones and tablets that will get three years’ worth of Android updates.
Galaxy S Series Phones
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Series
- Samsung Galaxy S21 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy S10 4G/5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 4G/5G
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series will also benefit from three years’ worth of Android updates too, as well as any other new phones released in 2022.
Galaxy Note Series Phones
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite
Galaxy A Series
- Samsung Galaxy A71 4G/5G
- Samsung Galaxy A72
- Samsung Galaxy A51 4G/5G
- Samsung Galaxy A52 4G/5G
- Samsung Galaxy A90 5G
Foldable Galaxy Phones
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G/4G
Samsung Tablets
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G/4G
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 5G/4G
The Best Reason To Buy A Samsung Phone
Samsung’s commitment to improved support for many of its most popular Android phones is commendable. In the past, Samsung’s track record with Android updates wasn’t too good, so it is nice to see the company being proactive in this regard. Next to Google, Samsung has the best support for Android updates on the market.
And this, as well as all the other things that make Samsung’s phones cool, like the specs, design, and hardware, is one of the main reasons why a Samsung phone is a very good option in 2021 and beyond. Not only do you have LOADS of potential options, options that span every conceivable price point, but you also get excellent support with Android and security updates.
Apple is still WAY better with respect to support; its iPhone gets, on average, six or seven major software updates – sometimes more.
This is why I would ALWAYS recommend a Samsung phone over pretty much every other Android phone maker, save for Google. Phones are NOT cheap, so you want to ensure you get the best possible support with security patches, updates, and new versions of Android. If you don’t, you will run into problems. And no one wants to spend $600 – $1000 on a phone and get just one or two Android updates. That’s just no good.
But with a phone like the Samsung Galaxy S22, you’re getting one of the best phones on the market with respect to performance and design as well as support for three major Android updates and four years of security updates. That means, if you bought one today, you’d still be getting Android updates in 2024. Not too shabby, right?
Richard Goodwin
Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.
