GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
In the early days of Android, it wasn’t unheard of for a device to only get a few updates at best, or even none at all in some cases. Thankfully, update policies have improved dramatically since then.
Google and Samsung lead the pack these days, with both brands now consistently offering seven years of updates for nearly all of their phones and tablets. Even Motorola recently introduced its first device with a seven-year update, though it’s less clear if this was a one-off change or not.
I have to admit, I was one of those who was once lured in by the update promise, and it’s a large reason why I have mostly stuck to Samsung and Google brands over the last several years. In fact, many Android fans and industry insiders have been critical of companies that don’t break past the four-year mark at least. I understand that the promise of more is always going to be appealing, but in reality, having seven years of OS updates and security fixes is overkill for many of us.
As much as I love my Samsung Galaxy S24, there’s absolutely no way on earth I’ll still be rocking it as my daily driver in 2031.
How long do you keep your Android devices for? 148 votes 1 to 3 years 30 % 3 to 5 years 39 % More than 5 years 32 %
Seven years of updates sounds generous, but it’s mostly a marketing gimmick
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
Update promises sound great on paper, but surveys like those from Reviews.org suggest that most people only keep their phones for about two and a half years. That said, the upgrade cycles are slowly widening, and there are certainly a minority who hang on to devices much longer than this.
The real reason why Google and Samsung promise seven years is to prevent security issues, app store capability issues, and to ensure a more consistent Android experience for its users. It’s also because Android has a history of horrible fragmentation, and so the pledge helps assure people that these days are mostly behind them. There are other reasons beyond this, I’m sure, but there’s no denying it is also just great marketing.
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