The moment we had all been waiting for is finally here. Yes, the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra are now official, but we're talking about what the new flagship phones mean for Samsung's software update policy.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra will get software updates for seven years after launch as part of the company's environmental sustainability efforts. That's three additional years compared to existing Galaxy flagships and mid-range phones.
Those updates will include new versions of Android and One UI and new security patches. Since the Galaxy S24 lineup comes with Android 14 out of the box, Android 21, or whatever Google is calling the operating system at that time, will be its final OS upgrade.
However, it's worth pointing out that longer software support will likely mean that future Android and One UI versions will not bring too many changes to Samsung Galaxy devices. To be more precise, more updates could equate to fewer changes. Samsung may make an exception now and then (One UI 6.1 is one such exception), but overall, we expect those updates to be pretty boring, especially after the first three or four years.
It remains to be seen if factors like parts availability will pose an issue for Samsung's ambitious seven-year update plan. Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra owners might, at the very least, have to get their phone's battery replaced in a few years, as batteries deteriorate and their charge-holding capacity decreases as they age, though we guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.
