Despite the rocky start the Galaxy S22 series had at launch due to the Exynos 2200 SoC or lack of optimization early on, Galaxy S22 owners know that things got way better a few months after release. And now, even as we approach two and a half years since it hit the shelves, the Galaxy S22 series remains a solid phone with plenty of power left under the hood.
The Galaxy S22+ remains one of my favorite phones of all time, and in some ways, I think it might have a better design than the newer Galaxy S24+. For one, I find it easier to hold and use one-handedly.
If you're reading this, I'm guessing you might still own a Galaxy S22, S22+, or Galaxy S22 Ultra. And if you haven't upgraded to the Galaxy S24 yet, chances are you're not in a rush to replace your 2022 flagship anytime soon.
And why would you? The Galaxy S22 works great even today, and with the latest Galaxy AI features added through the recent One UI 6.1 update, it's still keeping up with the times. Your Galaxy S22 has every Galaxy AI feature the S24 has, except for Instant Slow-Mo.
But how much longer will the Galaxy S22 series be able to keep up? When will you start feeling left behind? And when will you have to replace your trusty flagship due to security concerns? Find out all you need to know below.
How many more updates will the Galaxy S22 get?
In case you need a reminder, your Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, or Galaxy S22 Ultra is eligible for Samsung's four-year Android upgrade policy and will receive four major OS upgrades. The trio shipped with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 and already received Android 13 and Android 14, along with the corresponding One UI updates.
At the moment, your Galaxy S22 is as up-to-date as any other newer Samsung phone. And thankfully, it is technically eligible for future Android 15 and Android 16 updates. Sounds great! But even so, you should keep a few things in mind.
For one, the older your Galaxy S22 gets, the slower it will receive new firmware updates. For example, once Android 15 goes live later this year, Samsung will likely prioritize the Galaxy S23 and S24 for the update, and the Galaxy S22 might get the firmware later. It might even be pushed to 2025. And things won't get any faster once Android 16 goes live late next year.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, once again, the older your Galaxy S22 gets, the higher the chances are that it will miss out on some future One UI improvements and features. One UI 6.1 for the Galaxy S22 didn't come with Instant Slow-Mo, but that's just the beginning, and the list of missing features will probably get longer in time.
But assuming your Galaxy S22 continues to perform well over the next couple of years and the upcoming Android 15 and Android 16 won't disappoint, what can you expect in terms of security patches? When will Samsung drop support for the Galaxy S22 altogether?
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The Galaxy S22 series is eligible for five years of security patches, which means Samsung should support the trio at least until 2027. Right now, your Galaxy S22 receives new security patches on a monthly schedule.
Samsung will eventually move the Galaxy S22 series to a quarterly security patch release schedule. When? We're guessing it could happen in its 4th year on the market – in 2026. Similarly, the Galaxy S20 series, which debuted in 2020, got demoted to quarterly patches earlier this year.
All in all, if you want to keep using your Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, or Galaxy S22 Ultra, you sure can without worrying about security issues, and assuming your device already runs Android 14 and One UI 6.1, you can look forward to two more major OS upgrades this and next year.
On the other hand, if you are ready to leave the Galaxy S22, S22+, or S22 Ultra behind and are looking for an upgrade, Samsung offers decent trade-in values in some markets. It's best to check out the details at your local Samsung online store, as trade-in offers aren't the same everywhere.
