Shin Shul Park, the Director of Technical Program Management for Samsung’s Mobile Experience division, has announced that the company is actively exploring the provision of security updates for its devices for a period exceeding five years, Park mentioned that Samsung plans to support its devices with long-term security updates in alignment with its vision and in light of forthcoming regulatory requirements.
These statements were made during a recent interview at the 2023 Samsung Developers Conference, currently taking place in San Francisco, California, USA.
Samsung delivers updates to an immense number of devices, exceeding one billion monthly and more than ten billion annually, the company currently has over 150 different devices in the market, and it releases security updates on a monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual basis. Park stated that the company invests a substantial amount of resources to provide updates in this manner.
Samsung’s new devices are eligible for four years of annual operating system updates, along with five years of security updates, while the company’s officials extended the security update period, there was no mention of an extension for the annual Android updates or Samsung’s One UI interface.
Recently, Google announced its commitment to provide all updates for the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones for a full seven years, this move may encourage other companies to follow suit or at least enhance their update policies to make their devices more sustainable.
Samsung’s commitment to extending the security update period for its devices reflects a growing industry trend towards offering longer-lasting support for smartphones, as regulatory requirements and consumer expectations evolve, smartphone manufacturers are exploring ways to ensure the longevity and security of their products. Samsung’s efforts in this direction demonstrate its dedication to meeting the needs of its user base while staying competitive in the market.
