In the world of Android phones, no one does software updates better than Samsung. From releasing new security updates way ahead of time to providing as many as four years of OS upgrades to many of its devices, Samsung does it all. And soon, if a new European Commission proposal becomes law, other manufacturers could be forced to step up their software update game to a similar level.
All Android OEMs could be forced to provide the kind of software support Samsung does
EU lawmakers have proposed that smartphones sold in European countries should get at least 3 years of OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates. Naturally, with Samsung already providing that kind of support without being forced to do so, the Korean giant would get a major advantage if this EU proposal goes through, especially if other manufacturers — mostly those from China — don't have the resources to follow the new regulations.
The lawmakers also want manufacturers to support their devices with repair parts for at least five years. All that said, these new regulations are only proposals for now, so it remains to be seen if they will actually be turned into law in the near future.
As noted above, Samsung is already at a huge advantage here compared to the competition and should have an easier time sticking to the regulations. However, it could also lose that advantage if everyone starts supporting their smartphones and tablets for as long as Samsung does.
Of course, with the resources Samsung has its disposal, it could simply start providing updates to its devices for an even longer time span to get ahead once again, but we will have to wait and see how all of this eventually plays out. Should these proposals come into effect, it will take at least a year before they are adopted, so nothing is going to change overnight.
