During the Unpacked event on January 17, Samsung confirmed the Galaxy S24 range would match Google’s promise to deliver seven years of operating system updates.
Amid all of the nifty Galaxy AI tricks announced by Samsung yesterday, the announcement of this tangible benefit for Galaxy users is rooted in years of underachievement compared to Apple’s policy. iPhone users have traditionally gotten around six years of support for new versions of iOS.
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Samsung’s policy until yesterday was to offer users a guaranteed four years of Android and One UI updates and five years in total of security updates. When Google announced the Pixel 8 range of devices back in October, it raised the stakes significantly for Android device owners.
Samsung has now matched Google’s commitment to users, meaning the Galaxy S24 will be supported by the latest Android updates as far into the future as 2031.
Samsung said it wants to show its commitment to “extending the product lifecycle” and “to help users reliably experience the optimised performance of their Galaxy devices for even longer.” So, if you’re not inclined to buy a new phone, you will still be able to experience the best of Android and the One UI interface built by Samsung.
It’s not clear whether the vow will apply to older devices like the Samsung Galaxy S23 or Galaxy Z Fold 5, but the commitment is likely to be from the Galaxy S24 devices moving forward.
Samsung’s commitment to extending the lifespan of devices extended to its use of recycled materials in building its new phones. The environmental savings include using 100% recycled rare earth materials in the speakers and 50% recycled cobalt in the battery.
