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In 2020, phone makers began extending support for up to three years of Android updates. But Google just announced that phones running future Qualcomm chipsets, starting with the Snapdragon 888, will be able to get four years of Android, for Android Police. Since the next Samsung Galaxy S21 is rumored to include this chipset, it could be the first phone to get four years of Android.
Why? Because Samsung had a banner year as the first to announce that its phones would receive three years of Android operating system and security updates, starting with the Samsung Note 20 as well as the Galaxy S20 line and extension to the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A51.
Other phone makers have followed suit like Microsoft for the Surface Duo (or are rumored to be, like Sony), but Samsung has been at the forefront of these commitments, and it makes sense that the Samsung S21 phones are the first to receive four years of updates.
Okay, Samsung may not announce this right away, as it waited until just before the Note 20’s August launch to commit to three years of updates, but now that the cat is out of the bag for the potential to support four. years, it would be strange if another company beat Samsung. After all, Samsung is usually the first major phone maker to introduce the must-have features of the year on its S-series flagships: In 2019, the S10 line added punch-hole selfie cameras, while in 2020, the S20 series was the first to show off. 5G.
Four years of security and Android updates, for all phones
One of the most surprising aspects of the news is that all Future Qualcomm chipsets will allow for four years of Android updates, which means we could see budget and mid-range phones getting this extension as well.
All of that is dependent on phone makers implementing it, of course, and while Samsung was quick to announce that its high-end phones will get more Android updates than the two-year norm, it hasn’t included its A-series phones anymore. cheap. The simple explanation is that it may not be worth the effort, either because consumers don’t own cheap phones for so long or because other features (more cameras, better displays) are more desired.
Which is a shame, given how good budget and mid-range phones have become in recent years. Heck, OnePlus silent explained that its new Nord N10 5G phone would only receive one update, this year’s Android 11, which is not just below the norm … makes it harder to recommend given all the features that will be lost in the future.
We’ll wait and see if Samsung confirms that the Galaxy S21 will receive that fourth year of updates when it unveils the phone on the very likely January 14 launch date. And if not, we’ll see if another phone maker beats Samsung.
