Update: It does appear that Samsung might have been making a commitment for up to three major Android OS updates. During the presentation, it was mentioned that this is being done because Samsung has heard from users that they're holding on to their devices for longer. Samsung also feels that this will be good for the environment as people holding on to their phones for longer means less waste.
The fineprint flashed during this moment in the live stream mentions that “Availability of feature and security updates may vary by device and country. Update supported for flagship models from Galaxy S10 (Android 9) or later.”
If this does mean what we think it does, Samsung would most likely support its flagship devices with Android OS updates for three years. As clearly mentioned, the new policy would be applicable starting from the Galaxy S10. Nevertheless, to be absolutely sure that it is indeed talking about three major Android updates, we have reached out to Samsung for clarification.
Original story follows:
Samsung always says that security is at the heart of all of the products that it develops. The company mentioned during its Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event today that it ensures security at both the hardware and software level when working on new products. To that end, it's important for the company to provide ongoing OS updates for its devices. Samsung is reiterating its commitment to that by promising today that its mobile devices will receive OS updates for up to three generations. Before you get ahead of yourself, Samsung didn't specify Android OS updates, so don't think that your Galaxy Note 9 might be able to get Android 11. What its promise does mean that the vast majority of its devices will at least receive security updates for up to three years. Since One UI is Samsung's custom skin that's independent of Android, the new features that it introduces with subsequent iterations could eventually trickle down to older devices as well. We saw an instance of that this year when the Galaxy Note 9 received One UI 2.1, giving the owners of that device some of the best new features that were introduced with the Galaxy S20.
All Samsung mobile devices are guaranteed to receive two major Android OS upgrades. So that will continue the way it always has. With this promise, customers can rest assured that their devices will receive security updates in the third year as well. This allows them to hold on to their devices for longer since they have the peace of mind that their devices are protected against threats. With mobile security becoming more important than ever before, this commitment to secure customers' devices for three years is a good step from Samsung. Samsung Galaxy devices to get OS updates for three years
