Samsung offers one of the best software update support in the Android space. Its latest flagship phones will get OS updates for seven years, while enterprise models are eligible for up to eight years of support. Testament to its commitment, the company has extended support for the Galaxy S20 series. Originally slated to receive updates for four years, the 2020 flagships are enjoying an additional year of updates.
The Galaxy S20 series is getting a fifth year of update support
Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 series in early 2020 with Android 10 onboard. Later that year, the company announced that its flagship devices would get three major OS updates and four years of security patches. As promised, it delivered Android 11, Android 12, and Android 13 to the phones. The Korean firm also pushed monthly security patches to the devices for four years, all the way up to early 2024.
As per its support policy, Samsung should have ended update support for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra this month. However, it didn’t. Instead, the company only dropped the phones from monthly to quarterly security patches. The 2020 flagships are now in their fifth year and still getting updates. While it is unclear whether the extended support will last a full year, these are bonus updates for the phones.
Interestingly, the original Galaxy Z Flip also arrived around the same time as the Galaxy S20 series but it didn’t get extended support. Samsung has ended updates for the first-gen clamshell foldable. That said, as promised by the company, it received three major Android OS updates and four years of security patches, so we can’t complain. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G arrived in mid-2020, so it still has some life left in it.
The last Note phones are currently getting monthly updates
Earlier this month, Samsung dropped the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and Galaxy S20 FE to quarterly updates. It came as a surprise because these phones arrived between August and September 2020 and are yet to turn four. It turned out to be an error from the company. The tech biggie has since restored the phones to monthly updates.
Time will tell whether Samsung will offer updates to the Galaxy Note 20 series and the Galaxy S20 FE beyond four years. Flagship Galaxy smartphones and tablets launched in 2021 and beyond, meanwhile, are eligible for four major OS updates and five years of security patches. Some mid-range models will also enjoy the same support. Seven years of support only applies to the Galaxy S24 series.
2024-04-10 15:07:40