Galaxy S22 and other Samsung phones get extended update plan
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Selected Samsung phones are already among the devices that get the longest updates in the Android world. However, the manufacturer extended its promise for security and version updates for selected devices once again with the release of the Galaxy S22 series. Samsung's upper-range 2022 portfolio thus gets updates until 2027 at most and even the upgrade to Android 16.
TL;DR
- Speculated extension of the software warranty for certain models was confirmed by Samsung.
- Extended support includes: S22 series, S21 series, Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, and the new Tab S8 series.
- If your phone came out with Android 12 in 2022, you'll get secure updates until 2027 and can update to Android 16.
A few days before Samsung's Unpacked event on February 9, Evan Blass leaked press materials that contained an interesting detail, in which selected Samsung phones were supposed to get a longer update warranty. These rumors were confirmed by the manufacturer's official press release. Certain devices will get Android OS updates for four generations. You can see which devices will get which Android version in the following table:
Samsung's update policy in detail
| Model | Android 13 | Android 14 | Android 15 | Android 16 | Security updates until (expected) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S21 | x | x | x | - | Q1 2026 |
| Galaxy S21+ | x | x | x | - | Q1 2026 |
| Galaxy S21 Ultra | x | x | x | - | Q1 2026 |
| Galaxy S21 FE | x | x | x | x | Q1 2027 |
| Galaxy S22 | x | x | x | x | Q1 2027 |
| Galaxy S22+ | x | x | x | x | Q1 2027 |
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | x | x | x | x | Q1 2027 |
| Galaxy Z Fold 3 | x | x | x | - | Q3 2026 |
| Galaxy Z Flip 3 | x | x | x | - | Q3 2026 |
| Tab S8 series (tablets) | x | x | x | x | Q3 2027 |
The information in the table does not come from Samsung itself - it only comes from the new update promise and the list of the compatible devices. Samsung left the wording a little bit vague, in case Google decides to change how it names future Android versions.
Samsung's price-longevity winner is...
So I also have to pay tribute to one particular Samsung device that I got pretty excited about at release: the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Because as it becomes clear with the release of the S22 series, the phone doesn't even fall that far behind the new models technically. In return, you get a phone that you can theoretically use until 2027 for a price of around $699.
To a certain extent, the S21 FE is the phone that offers the best longevity at the best price from Samsung. This is because, like the S22 series, it was released with Android 12 in 2022 and is listed as a compatible device for the update boost. But now to you:
What do you think about Samsung's extended update warranty? Is it a reason to celebrate or are they just catching up on something that should be the default anyway? Write it down in the comments!
