Galaxy S20 Series to Receive Five Years of Updates
Samsung has recently extended the support period for its Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra models, granting them an additional year of updates.
In August 2020, Samsung had announced its commitment to offering three major Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates for its flagship smartphones and tablets.
Having launched in early 2020, the Galaxy S20 series fell under this new support policy. As the original three Galaxy S20 models reached the end of their four-year retail cycle this year, Samsung decided to prolong their update lifespan.
While most devices from 2019 onwards receive a minimum of four years of security updates, the Galaxy S20 series will now benefit from an extra year of such updates. Though the exact duration of this extended support remains unspecified, users can expect to receive additional updates beyond the initially promised period.
This isn’t entirely unexpected, as Samsung has a track record of continuing updates for certain devices even after the official support period ends. Additionally, the company commits to providing security updates for select devices released from 2019 onward for “a minimum of four (4) years from their global launch,” implying that some older phones may receive updates beyond the initial four-year mark.
However, it’s important to note that while extra security updates are anticipated, there are no additional Android OS updates beyond what is initially promised. If a device is slated to receive three Android version updates, it will indeed receive three updates, with no further additions. Similarly, devices eligible for four Android OS updates won’t receive a fifth major update.
Samsung’s latest policy of extending support to a remarkable seven years of OS and security updates applies specifically to the Galaxy S24 series (and eight years for select new enterprise edition devices). While future flagship smartphones are likely to fall under this new policy, older devices won’t benefit from this extended courtesy.
