Samsung has extended the duration in which it provides security updates to key Galaxy products to 4 years. The products in question are from 2019 and in the Galaxy Z, S, Note, A, M, XCover and Tab series.
This is good news for current Galaxy users and those considering a Galaxy product. It ensures that your phone or tablet is safe and up to date for a longer period. Samsung is planning to roll out these updates on a monthly and quarterly basis. Still, a security update is a different than an Android update.
A security update fixes security issues that can be exploited by hackers. An Android update includes new features and improvements. As far as Android updates are concerned, Samsung still tries to provide 3-year updates for its most important products. This gives Samsung a clear advantage over other Android manufacturers. In some cases you only get 1 major Android update, not to mention monthly security updates.
Selected Galaxy products
The Galaxy products that receive 4 years of updates are:
- Galaxy Fold, Fold 5G, Z Fold2 4G, Z Fold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G
- Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, S10 Lite, S20, S20 5G, S20+, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra, S20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G
Galaxy Note10, Note10 5G, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra 4G, Note20 Ultra 5G - Galaxy A10, A10e, A10s, A20, A20s, A30, A30s, A40, A50, A50s, A60, A70, A70s, A80, A90 5G, A11, A21, A21s, A31, A41, A51, A51 5G, A71, A71 5G, A02s, A12, A32 5G, A42 5G
- Galaxy M10s, M20, M30, M30s, M40, M11, M12, M21, M31, M31s, M51
- Galaxy XCover4s, XCover FieldPro, XCover Pro
- Galaxy 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+
Android One and Pixel
Samsung is also taking away the advantage that Android One phones have. They can receive multi-year Android and security updates. Nokia especially brings out Android One phones. Google Pixel phones can also count on multi-year updates, and this move gives them an extra competitor.