Before buying an Android smartphone, remember to check its manufacturer’s update tracking policy. An essential criterion to know if it will resist time and cyber threats. And some brands are better than others.
When we are about to buy an Android smartphone, we are generally interested in many criteria: design, size and quality of the screen, photo sensors, autonomy, processor, memory, storage capacity, price… But we often forget one detail yet very important: the version of Android. And, more so, the frequency of operating system (OS) updates. Because if the smartphone is generally factory-equipped with a relatively recent version of Android – not always the latest… –, it is very important to know how this OS will evolve over time and updates developed by Google. Indeed, after a period, the system remains stuck in one version, which limits the life of the mobile – some applications become incompatible and security flaws are no longer corrected, which exposes you to risks. If you are used to Android phones, you must have noticed that at first there are a lot of software updates, but they are gradually spaced out until they disappear completely, a sign of the end of smartphone software tracking and beginning of its obsolescence.
Android update: the best brands in 2022
In practice, there are two types of updates for Android devices:
- Major operating system updates: generally offered once a year, they bring new functions as well as changes to the interface. The latest update is Android 12, released in the fall of 2021. The next version, Android 13, is expected to be released in late 2022.
- Security updates: much more frequent – about every month – they aim to correct flaws in the smartphone in order to protect it against viruses and other malware.
However, these updates do not depend on Google but on the manufacturers’ update monitoring policy. And it varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is indeed known that it is impossible to install a version of Android yourself, because everything is done through the updates released by the manufacturers. It is for this reason that the duration of the software monitoring of the different manufacturers – and which varies according to each one – is important: the longer the monitoring and the more reactive the deployment, the more the device will remain up to date and will therefore be protected from possible cyber threats. It is therefore important to know the manufacturer’s software monitoring policy before purchasing.
And this is precisely the specialty of the site AOSMarkwho “rates Android smartphone makers by the number of OS updates they’ve made to their phones on average in the past“. Here is his list of winners for 2022, which will allow you to know the software monitoring policy of the biggest brands and to choose knowingly.
Samsung
Samsung is the best manufacturer in this regard. At the beginning of 2021, the Korean manufacturer announced that its Galaxy devices (Z, S and Tab) – including foldable phones – released since 2019 are entitled to four years of Android update and five years of security update. As for the other mobiles, they benefit from four years of Android updates and security.
Unsurprisingly, Google is among the best, given that it’s the developer of the operating system. So far, the digital giant offered three years of Android updates and three years of security updates. But with the launch of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, security update tracking has increased to five years. Note that smartphones have the fastest deployment.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is a bit of a special case. In 2021, the manufacturer changed its software monitoring policy and committed to providing four years of security updates and three years of major Android updates, but this only concerns smartphones from the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro. For other models, it is less. The Redmi Note and Mi benefit from two to three major updates, while the other Redmi have to make do with one or two Android updates…
OnePlus/Oppo
The two brands have teamed up for better tracking software. In 2021, they changed their update policy. High-end models released since 2018 – namely from the OnePlus 8 and Oppo Find X – have three years of operating system updates and four years of security updates. The Oppo Find X get two major OS updates and three years of security patches, while the Oppo Reno and Oppo F get two major updates and four years of security updates. As for the OnePlus Nord and Nord CE, and the Oppo A, they benefit from a single Android update and three years of security patches.
nokia
Again, policies vary by model. Newer smartphones like the Nokia XR20 get four years of security updates and three years of operating system upgrades. Other models have to make do with two years of major updates and three years for security. However, the manufacturer loses points because the deployment of security patches often has a certain delay…
