Samsung is ceasing updates and software support for some of its older Android models, including the Galaxy A51, despite its latest Galaxy S24 series slated to receive updates for a significant part of the upcoming decade.
Typically, Samsung’s software update policy differs per device, but most recent releases receive a minimum of four years of major Android updates and five years of security patches. However, this is a fairly new advancement. Just in 2021, Samsung’s policy was to provide three years of major Android updates and four years of security updates, applied to devices sold in 2019 or later. This means that we are now seeing some devices stop receiving updates.
Samsung updated its “Work Scope” this week, terminating updates for four devices, including the widely-used Galaxy A51.
- Galaxy A01
- Galaxy A51
- Galaxy Tab S6 5G
- Galaxy W20 5G
Among the devices losing update support, the Galaxy A51 stands out for its popularity. It offered users a good overall experience on a budget since its release in 2020. It’s also worth noting that the Galaxy Tab S6 5G is a variant of a slightly older tablet that lost update support a while ago. The Galaxy W20 5G, the Chinese version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, will continue to receive security updates in other parts of the world.
Further adjustments to Samsung’s update schedule include shifting the Galaxy A03 and Galaxy Tab A8 from quarterly updates to biannual, indicating the last phase before ending software support. Additionally, the Galaxy S24 series, Xcover 7, and Galaxy Tab Active 5 are now scheduled for monthly updates.
