Samsung has improved a lot over the years regarding software quality and support. It has promised up to four years of Android OS updates for its recent devices, and that's better than even Google's update policy for Pixel phones. However, that has also created some confusion among Galaxy smartphone users.
Why is it that Galaxy S10 Lite will get the Android 13 update but not the costlier Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10+?
The reason why Galaxy S10 Lite gets to run Android 13 while other Galaxy S10 phones don't
Well, Samsung's update policy considers the Android version a phone launches with rather than its pricing or hardware capabilities. For instance, the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and the Galaxy S10 5G debuted in early 2019 with Android 9 on board. Hence, they get three Android OS updates: Android 10 (One UI 2), Android 11 (One UI 3), and Android 12 (One UI 4).
In comparison, the Galaxy S10 Lite launched a year later (early 2020) with Android 10 on board. As per the South Korean firm's software update policy for its smartphones and tablets, the Galaxy S10 Lite will also get three major Android OS updates. Since it launched with Android 10 pre-installed, it will get Android 11, Android 12, and Android 13 updates.
Yes, it seems unfair that a cheaper and lower-end phone (compared to other Galaxy S10 phones) will be able to run Android 13 (and One UI 5.0). But it is what it is, and some users might be forced to buy Galaxy phones that launch towards the start of the year to enjoy the maximum period of up-to-date software.
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