In a press release issued on 22 February, the South Korean tech giant committed to at least four years of security updates for Galaxy devices within its Z, S, Note, A, M, XCover and Tab series’. While flagship Android devices typically receive at least two years of security updates, the roadmap for more affordable devices is usually far less concrete. Samsung’s commitment to four years of security updates encompasses everything from its most recent and capable flagships, right down to its entry-level offerings from 2019, which is an impressive undertaking to embark upon for any manufacturer. This serves as just another move from Samsung to prolong the validity of Galaxy devices already in consumers’ hands, having previously committed to three years of major OS updates for its higher-end devices, back in August 2020 and rolling out its ‘Galaxy Upcycling at Home’ program during its CES 2021 address – which allows users to turn old Galaxy devices into different products, like a baby monitor or a home IoT hub. Security updates arrive on a monthly or quarterly basis and ensure that vulnerabilities discovered within an Android device’s underlying software and/or operating system can be patched, reducing the risk of personal or important data either being accessible to unintended parties or allowing for unwarranted actions to take place on a device unchecked. In terms of which Galaxy devices fall within this new initiative, the current list stands at:
Z Fold 2 5GZ Fold 2Z Flip 5GZ FlipFold 5GFoldS21 Ultra 5GS21+ 5GS21 5GS20 FE 5GS20 FES20 Ultra 5GS20 UltraS20+ 5GS20+S20 5GS20S10 LiteS10 5GS10eS10+S10Note20 Ultra 5GNote20 UltraNote20 5GNote20Note10 LiteNote10+ 5GNote10+Note10 5GNote10A42 5GA32 5GA12A02sA71 5GA71A51 5GA51A41A31A21sA21A11A90 5GA80A70sA70A60A50sA50A40A30sA30A20sA20A10sA10eA10M51M31sM31M21M12M11M40M30sM30M20M10sXCover ProXCover FieldProXCover4sTab S7+Tab S7Tab S6 LiteTab S6 5GTab S6Tab S5eTab A7Tab A 8.4 (2020)Tab A with S PenTab A 8 (2019)Tab Active3Tab Active Pro
It seems that a handful of devices are missing, however, with the Galaxy A02, M02, M02s and A20e seemingly absent. This 85 device-strong list is still impressive nonetheless.
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