It’s always a sad moment when your smartphone loses software support. In today’s Android industry, many brands have made efforts to offer updates for longer periods. Currently, Samsung and Google reign in this department with 7 years of updates for flagships. That said, a couple of Samsung devices, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Tab A7, have been discontinued.
For years now, Samsung has been the leading brand when it comes to Android updates. It makes sense that the company would go for such a milestone to match its position as the dominant company in terms of sales. Samsung even started offering 7 years of Android updates before Google, which took the industry by surprise. For reference, most Android brands promise up to 4 years of updates for flagship devices or even less in a few cases.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Tab A7 have been discontinued
The South Korean giant has been progressively increasing the support time on its phones. Before offering 7 years of updates, Samsung offered 4 years of software support for flagships. Usually, update policies do not apply retroactively, leaving older models “stuck” in the previous policy. That’s what’s happening with devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Tab A7.
Samsung has already removed the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Tab A7 from the list of devices that will still receive updates. That means that the time for software support for both big OS updates and security patches is over. Of course, the devices will continue to work perfectly, but they will be left out of fixes for potential vulnerabilities that may arise in the future.
Average users likely have less to worry about
In any case, the average user is not usually a target for those who exploit OS vulnerabilities through complex methods. However, government employees using those devices should be concerned.
Samsung is notably enhancing its software support for low-end devices as well. This week, the company launched the affordable Galaxy A16 5G which will receive 6 years of Android updates. Does this mean that the company’s next flagships will get updates for even longer? Only time will tell.
