Samsung’s Extended Security Updates

Last week, Google made an announcement that sent shockwaves through the tech industry. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro owners will now enjoy a remarkable seven years of both OS and security updates. Not one to be left behind, Samsung has taken notice and is considering taking action.

Up until now, Samsung has been leading the pack when it comes to update policies among Android big players. Since 2021, they have been offering 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security patches for Galaxy owners. However, with the recent news from Google, Samsung is now contemplating offering even more than five years of security updates.

Shin-Chul Baik, the Principal Engineer and Technical Program Manager of the Security Team for Samsung’s Mobile eXperience division, has confirmed that Samsung has been having active discussions about the possibility of providing Galaxy owners with “long-term security updates” for “more than five years of support”. This aligns with Samsung’s vision of supporting devices for longer and also prepares them for new regulations that are expected to be implemented in the future.

The proposed EU regulations, set to go into effect from 2025, call on companies to offer a minimum of five years of system updates for their smartphones. However, the term “system updates” can have different interpretations. Are we talking about OS upgrades or just security updates? Only time will tell what these regulations entail. For now, Samsung is primarily focusing on increasing the number of years of security support for their devices.

In terms of software security updates, Samsung already has an impressive track record. They update over 1 billion devices every month and provide over 10 billion updates annually. More than 150 devices receive security updates on a monthly, quarterly, and bi-annual basis in markets worldwide.