If you are a Samsung Galaxy smartphone user, we have some good news for you. Samsung has announced that Galaxy devices will now receive regular security updates for at least four years after the device’s initial release.
Eligible devices include handsets from the Galaxy Z, S, Note, A, M and XCover series in addition to tablets from the Galaxy Tab lineup. At present, Samsung’s Galaxy line consists of more than 130 different models.
Interestingly, the new security update extension isn’t limited to new devices as Samsung is also extending it to Galaxy devices released in 2019.
Here’s a full list of devices that Samsung has confirmed will get four years of security updates.
- Galaxy Foldable devices: Fold, Fold 5G, Z Fold2, Z Fold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G
- Galaxy S series: 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 Note series: Note10, Note10 5G, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra, Note20 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy A series: 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 M series: M10s, M20, M30, M30s, M40, M11, M12, M21, M31, M31s, M51
- Galaxy XCover series: XCover4s, 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 should be noted that the four years of security updates should not be confused with major Android OS updates, which are completely separate. In August 2020, Samsung promised it would support at least three ‘generations’ of Android OS upgrades for select Galaxy devices.
The company previously supported its devices for up to two years worth of Android OS upgrades while security updates were provided for three years.
By extending its security support, Samsung is giving its users an incentive to hold on to their Galaxy devices for longer. This would make them one of the new Android device makers that offer software and security support that is almost on par with Apple’s support for older devices which is typically five years.
