Samsung will still only give your $1,000+ Galaxy S20 two major Android updates

Ben Schoon | Mar 3 2020 - 10:49 am PT

Samsung makes some of the best Android devices on the market right now, and it’s latest Galaxy S20 series is no exception to that! One big complaint about the company’s devices, though, is the lack of long-term support and, well, that’s not changing. Samsung has recently confirmed that its Galaxy S20 series will still only get two major Android updates.

This really shouldn’t come as a surprise as, for quite some time, this has been Samsung’s update model. Unless noted otherwise, most of the company’s smartphones get monthly security patches for 3 years and quarterly patches for a year after that, but only two years of full software support.

What does full software support mean in this case? Samsung will only provide major platform upgrades for its Android devices for two years. Given Android’s current release schedule, that means the Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip will get no more than 2 major Android updates — namely, Android 11 and Android 12.

We’ve seen this pattern play out before, too. Earlier this year, Galaxy S8 users were up in arms because their 2-year-old flagship wasn’t scheduled to get Android 10, but that outcry didn’t change a darn thing. While, yes, Google only provides full software support for an extra year on its Pixel lineup, that’s still another full year!

Samsung’s update policy is unchanged on the S20 — Image Credit: SamMobile

The reason this is a problem specifically for the Galaxy S20 series is because these phones are really, really expensive. Where a Pixel or OnePlus phone with 2-3 years of official software support might cost $600-$800 depending on the model, there isn’t a single Samsung flagship you can buy this year for under four figures. With such premium price tags, customers expect these phones to last!

Of course, Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series won’t just stop working after it gets those two major updates, but this is still a crying shame given the price tags. It’s also a justifiable reason for someone looking to spend that much money to look at an iPhone and its 5+ years of support! Hopefully, Samsung will change its mind over time with this sore point of its otherwise great devices.