Android’s improved software support matters more than you think
You may have heard the argument that many years of updates don’t matter because “you’ll replace your phone in 2 years anyway.” In the age of e-waste, however, there’s a reason you should want your phone to last for years, even if you’re not the one using it.
How Android OEMs Slowly Improved Software Support
For years, the software support on most Android phones was horrible, and that was one of the strongest arguments for buying an iPhone over an Android phone. While iPhones received software updates for five or six years, if you didn’t have an Android flagship, the most you could hope for was 2 or 3 years of updates. Sometimes you couldn’t get any.
Things have improved significantly since 2017, the turning point being “Project Treble”, a rearchitecture of Android that separated the core operating system from the manufacturer-specific hardware code. Previously, updates were often delayed because Android versions had to be compiled from scratch with device-specific “blobs” provided by third parties like Qualcomm.
Here’s when your Samsung Galaxy will receive One UI 8.5
Google has released a major version of Android every year since 2012, but the release of Android 16 introduced a change with two updates. Google released Android 16 in June and Samsung followed with One UI 8 (based on Android 16) in September. And now that Google is rolling out more features, Samsung is preparing something similar with One UI 8.5, and here’s what you need to know.
By making the operating system essentially hardware independent, this modularity removed the biggest technical hurdle. Android manufacturers can now roll out updates much faster because they no longer need to wait for chipmakers to update each specific driver.
However, Treble itself was not a magic bullet; at most, it took OEMs from two to three years of support. The real acceleration came later under market pressure: as smartphone prices skyrocketed, longevity became a premium feature demanded by consumers. First, it was Samsung that standardized four years of updates for its Galaxy devices, causing its competitors to follow suit.
Simultaneously, the European Union’s impending “right to repair” regulations, which mandate longer support windows to reduce e-waste, have forced the industry’s hand, turning what was once a “nice to have” into a legal necessity. And recently, the Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 moved to a longer schedule with a promise of seven years of updates, effectively matching the software support iPhones have offered for years.
Why is this important?
Extensive software support isn’t just about features. Probably the most important is security. Modern smartphones are the repositories of our digital lives: they hold banking credentials, two-factor authentication codes, private health data, and intimate communications. So if you drive an old phone around every day, you definitely want it to receive at least semi-regular security updates. Once a phone no longer receives security patches, it becomes vulnerable to new exploits and malware.
Then we have the resale argument. For years, iPhones held their value much better than Androids, largely because a used iPhone 8 purchased in 2020 still received updates, while a used Galaxy S8 was essentially obsolete. Keeping phones updated longer will ultimately lead to Android phone resale values being higher and remaining higher for longer, because a used Android phone won’t essentially be e-waste.
Finally, if your operating system is too old, you don’t just lose its functionality; you start losing access to the apps you rely on daily. App developers (like WhatsApp, Uber, or your local bank) eventually stop supporting older versions of Android to use new APIs and security features. Expanded support ensures your device remains a smartphone rather than just a phone that makes calls.
How to sell your phone for as much as possible
Trading in your old phone when upgrading to a new one is a quick and hassle-free way to reduce its effective price. But you’re much more likely to get better value for your money if you take the time to sell the device through a second-hand market. Follow these tips to maximize the resale value of your phone.
There is still a lot of work to be done
Seven years is pretty good. Not only will you be able to keep your phone updated for quite a while after you buy it new, but if you sell it, pass it on to a family member, or if it ends up in someone’s hands as a refurbished device, it will also have some life left. And it will likely stay updated until the device becomes obsolete.
The problem, however, is that this promise is only valid for a handful of Android phones available on the market: Google phones and Samsung phones. For what it’s worth, Samsung’s seven-year promise extends to all of its phones, even mid-range ones, and it drops to a six-year promise for its cheapest entry-level phones, which is also pretty good. Google doesn’t make entry-level phones, but its mid-range Pixel A phones also deliver on the same update promise.
Outside of these two OEMs, your mileage may vary. OnePlus offers four years on its flagships and has publicly stated that it doesn’t want to offer anything better because it doesn’t think it’s necessary. A $200 device from most other companies usually only gets one or two major updates before being discontinued. Some companies might even offer this poor support on their $1,000+ flagships – looking at you, Motorola.
How long will my Android phone be supported with updates?
Updates are a big deal in the Android world. Although Apple controls the iPhone update process, Google does not have this power on all Android devices. How are you supposed to know how long your Android phone will receive updates? We will help you.
