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Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

cnet.com

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Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#61

Post by jwells89 »

shmoogy wrote: post #25
Steltek wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't think people are naturally choosing "Samsung Internet" as their favorite browser?

I have a galaxy fold 5 as my secondary phone and when I first got it I was trying to see what people were using on android in 2023, and fold users overwhelmingly suggested the Samsung internet browser on Reddit. It's.. fine, I was disappointed immediately as even my iPhone in native safari supports greasemonkey scripts.

> I was disappointed immediately as even my iPhone in native safari supports greasemonkey scripts

It feels totally upside-down that Safari for iOS has a better extensions story than Chrome for Android. For this reason one of the first things I grab when setting up a new Android device is Firefox.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#62

Post by LightHugger »

wilsonnb3 wrote: post #8
jwells89 wrote: post #4

A good first step. The next one I’d like to see is a one-tap toggle that disables the bulk of Samsung OS customizations and “me too” apps/ecosystem cruft, as some other vendors have. Yes it can be removed manually, but with one of Android’s chief selling points being the choice it affords users, I shouldn’t need to do that, particularly on expensive flagship devices.

Samsung's OS customizations and a lot of their apps are quite nice these days, I don't think there would be much of a point in such a toggle. Especially considering you can already change to a different launcher if you want.

If you've never installed a custom rom like lineageos on a samsung phone and see your battery life triple or more, i can see having this opinion. But, no, the samsung 'experience' is not quite nice.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#63

Post by DistractionRect »

aceazzameen wrote: post #58

7 years of updates for what? The S24 models and up? Or all phones up to 7 years ago? It doesn't specify, and the cynic in me makes me think it's only on 2024 models as a selling point.

It's likely going to be recent devices. Older devices Android was tightly coupled to kernel version, didn't have a good hardware abstraction layer for drivers, etc. Basically android has been working on restructing itself under the hood over the years to be more maintainable. Further, older devices will be on LTS kernels which will already be outside their support window, so there's a ton work to be done updating the device tree to upgrade to a newer LTS kernel.

Short windows made sense simply because it was a lot of work to maintain old devices. Now that there's a more solid separation of concerns, longer support windows make sense.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#64

Post by abdusco »

andrewia wrote: post #20
axiomdata316 wrote: post #14

Now for a phone that has a battery that will last that long. That would really be news. I find that I don't replace a phone because it can't function or is no longer secure. I replace it because it can't hold a charge long enough for regular daily use.

That's an inherent limitation of modern lithium batteries with a smartphone's constraints of density, size, packaging, charge current, and a bunch of other requirements. Replacing a battery every 18-24 months costs ~$75 (or 1 hour and $35 if you're comfortable with DIY), which is a reasonable maintenance cost considering smartphones cost $300-$1300. Many car owners don't sell/scrap their car until repairs exceed the…

Good luck finding genuine replacement battery after 3-4 years. All you'll find will be fake Chinese knock-offs.

Samsung should back their word by keeping a stock of replacement parts.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#65

Post by silisili »

NathanCollins wrote: post #9
gHA5 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who are the other vendors that have such a toggle?

It's not a toggle, but Google Pixel phones (or at least the one I owned a few years ago) come with very few if any bloatware type apps, since the default Android apps are the Google apps anyway. Contrast with Samsung that duplicates a bunch of core apps/functionality.

Motorola is also super minimal/mostly Google. I think the only bloatware on my newest was an app to control 'moto actions', which I find gimmicky but some tend to like.

Yeah, my previous Samsung I had to spend a half hour with adb to get all their junk disabled.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#66

Post by Endurancee »

Seems like these only applies to S24 series, will be nice if they do these for S23 series also or at least flagships. Although I'm thinking as the next gen leaps are getting diminished year by year and smartphone like Pixel 8 are already more pricy than it should have been, companies can just jack their prices with even less innovation saying 7 years security updates but how long does an average user keeps phone anyway and will batteries are going to last that long.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#68

Post by wmf »

kjellsbells wrote: post #60

Where can one go to verify these claims straight from the source? the Internet is full of "mobile news" sites that claim Samsung are doing this or Google are doing that, but they are impossible to verify. I would hope that Samsung would at least put out a press release, or there'd be a link to some release note, or _something_, but nothing. Where do other HN readers go to verify these types of stories?

First result for Galaxy S24 press release: https://news.samsung.com/global/enter-the-new-era-of-mobile-...

"The latest flagship continues Samsung’s commitment to extending the product lifecycle, offering seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates..."

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#69

Post by wmf »

jvanderbot wrote: post #43

How much of this is good faith, how much public backlash, and how much just not pushing out revolutionary new hardware every year due to the long awaited death of Moore's law.

What does it matter? As long as they actually deliver seven years.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#70

Post by captn3m0 »

aceazzameen wrote: post #58

7 years of updates for what? The S24 models and up? Or all phones up to 7 years ago? It doesn't specify, and the cynic in me makes me think it's only on 2024 models as a selling point.

I maintain https://endoflife.date/samsung-mobile and this is extremely frustrating. Google was clear when they bumped the support that it only applied to Pixel 8 and above. Why can't Samsung clearly publish a press release.
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