Old Phones Secure Too... Samsung Electronics Provides Security Updates for Over 4 Years

Eligible models are those released after 2019

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Samsung Electronics announced on the 23rd that it will expand security update support for Galaxy mobile devices to a minimum of 4 years.

The support targets models released since 2019, and globally, regular updates will be provided for more than 130 models. The update frequency varies by model. Supported models in Korea include foldable smartphones, the Galaxy S series, the Galaxy Note series, the Galaxy A and M series, and tablet PCs.

Samsung Electronics has been conducting a regular security update process. In addition to Android operating system (OS) and chipset partners, it works closely with more than 200 global mobile carriers to provide security patch updates whenever vulnerabilities are discovered.

The company launched its first regular security update program in 2015 and collaborates with over 1,000 partners to establish security standards for Android devices. It is also cooperating with various security research communities to provide users with a safe mobile experience.

Samsung Electronics has developed its own mobile security platform Samsung Knox, security chipsets, and security processors that block hardware-level attacks. Recently, the 'Galaxy S21' series was equipped with 'Samsung Knox Vault.' Samsung Knox Vault adds tamper-proof secure memory to the existing security processor to store PINs, passwords, biometric data, blockchain, authentication keys, and more.

Shin Seung-won, Executive Director of the Security Team at Samsung Electronics’ Wireless Business Division, said, "Technological advancements have made it possible to use mobile devices longer than ever before," adding, "We will do our best to ensure users can enjoy the best mobile experience with peace of mind throughout their use of Galaxy mobile devices."

Meanwhile, last August, Samsung Electronics announced plans to expand Android OS upgrade support for Galaxy mobile devices up to 3 generations. For example, the Galaxy S20 series, which was released with Android 10, will support a total of three Android OS upgrades starting with Android 11.