No seven years of updates for these upcoming Galaxy phones

Google set the bar way too high with the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro's seven years of software support last Fall when they were announced… but Samsung just couldn’t sit idle and let this one go. That’s why the Galaxy S24 line was also announced with seven years of support. This equates to seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates for the S24 phones.

Currently, Samsung delivers software security updates on an impressive scale: over 150+ Samsung devices are receiving security updates on its monthly, quarterly, and bi-annual release schedules in markets across the world.

Samsung’s seven-year support comes with the usual disclaimer that availability and timing of Android OS upgrades and security updates may vary by device model and market.

Speaking of security updates that may “vary by device model and market”, here are two models that are now rumored to come with 4, instead of 7 years of software support: the Galaxy A55 and the Galaxy A35.

That’s what a report from SamMobile claims, titled “Galaxy A55 and A35 will not get software updates for seven years”.

We at PhoneArena were hoping the Galaxy A55 and the A35 would get the seven-year software support treatment, but the latest rumor says otherwise. “In its teaser for the Galaxy A55 and A35's March 11 launch, Samsung says that both phones will get four major OS upgrades and security updates for five years like their predecessors”, continues the report.

While Samsung offers four OS upgrades to its more affordable models, blessing the Galaxy A55 and the A35 with software support for seven years would have been a welcome addition. However, such decision could interfere with Samsung's financial strategy, because offering seven years of updates across too many devices might discourage frequent upgrades among consumers, potentially impacting sales.

Samsung's recent hints suggest that both the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 will not feature the Galaxy AI experience available in the Galaxy S24 series and Samsung's 2023 flagships following the One UI 6.1 update. It remains uncertain whether these new mid-range models will ship with One UI 6.1 pre-installed.