Phones don’t live forever. They should live a lot longer than they do, but manufacturers typically won’t support a phone with updates for a long time, encouraging you to get a new one every three years.
So, how long might your phone be supported for with updates? When will it stop receiving software and security updates? Let’s break down phone support lifecycles from each major manufacturer.
Apple
Apple’s range of iPhones receive support for much longer than some Android alternatives, making them a practical choice for if you don’t want to physically upgrade your device regularly (although of course you’ll miss out on all the new cool features).
Apple will typically support iPhones with software updates for up to 5 years, with security updates provided for up to seven years, according to endoflife.date. Suppose you’ve got an iPhone that came out seven years ago. In that case, you might want to upgrade it for security purposes, if not for new features (although Apple may release security patches for older models and operating systems).
Samsung
Last year, Samsung announced that its Galaxy S22 phones would receive OS updates for up to four years from the release date (up from three years), with up to five years of security updates (up from four years). Samsung’s range of phones is massive, with several different categories across several different price points.
Roughly speaking though if your Samsung Galaxy was released in 2018 (such as the S9), you’d most likely want to switch to a newer device, for security and stability reasons. You can check if your Samsung is supported on endoflife.date.
Google’s Pixel range of phones receive security updates for at least five years from when they become available, however, this was a change brought in with the Pixel 6 range. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will receive update support up to October 2024 (security updates until October 2026), the Pixel 6a until July 2025 (security updates until July 2027) and the Pixel 7 will receive updates until October 2025 (security updates until October 2027).
The Pixel 4, 4XL and earlier devices are no longer supported.