Samsung’s update craze is nonsense: a deliberately overly critical comment


Samsung is extending the update support of selected devices for another Android version and for another year of security updates! You can theoretically use the new devices of the S22 series until 2027. But do you really want that? And is Samsung trying to distract from the actual problem with this feature? As a thought experiment, I’ll take a critical look at Samsung’s update miracle!

In the run-up to the Galaxy S22 launch, there were rumors about a further extension of Samsung’s update guarantee. A few days later it was confirmed: The new Galaxy S22 devices will receive security updates by 2027 and will also receive the update to Android 16. The euphoria spread like wildfire through the technical media. But does that even make sense for the end user?

In my comment, I would like to take a critical look at Samsung’s update guarantee and not only look at the theory, but also at the practice. Did Samsung’s update extension happen at the right time and aren’t there other hurdles to consider in addition to the update guarantee that you have to consider for a longer lifespan of smartphones?

Update extension just a diversionary maneuver?

If you have followed my articles about the Galaxy S22 series, you already know my displeasure with the S22 launch. As I wrote in the last issue of the winners and losers, I had a queasy feeling on the way home from the S22 launch event in Berlin. Samsung’s new smartphones didn’t seem innovative enough and too boring to be presented as the new flagships of one of the innovation drivers in the smartphone industry.

The new Galaxy S22 models are very similar to their predecessors./ © NextPit

Except for the redesign of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which I suspect is based on recycling the blueprints of a canceled last Note model, there was little that was really new. We get better cameras, better materials and a new processor, the European version of which is inferior to the direct competitor according to the first benchmarks. Samsung simply failed to produce exciting smartphones in 2022.

It is therefore understandable that many colleagues emphasize the extended software support. And that acts a bit like a safety net, which softens the headlines about the S22 launch. Because the information that Samsung doesn’t really offer anything new is overshadowed by the extended software support. The fact that Samsung delivers longer updates than Google itself is more exciting than the fact that the S22 series doesn’t offer much that is new.

Longevity doesn’t just mean more updates

While I can absolutely understand Samsung’s update extension for marketing reasons, I don’t see that this characteristic is equated with a longer smartphone lifespan. Of course, after four years of use, it’s great to get another year of security updates. But how likely is it that a device from the S22 series will be used for that long?

On the one hand, such expensive smartphones are bought by tech enthusiasts and/or as part of cell phone contracts anyway. And both circumstances lead to the fact that cell phones are replaced by a new device after a year or two. For techies, in addition to the financial decision, the love of new technologies also plays a role – and unlike the updates, the “novelty” of an S22 doesn’t last five years.

AndroidPIT Samsung Galaxy S8 100 days 1872

Would you still use the Galaxy S8 in 2022? The mobile phone came onto the market five years ago. / © NextPit

On the other hand, the hardware of the S22 series in particular is not designed to function satisfactorily for five years. We can see this best in the battery of the Galaxy S22, which has shrunk again this year from 4,000 to just 3,700 milliampere hours. The batteries of the other two models are larger, but at Samsung’s request they should be charged faster with an optionally purchased, more powerful charger.

As you can read in my guide about the harmfulness of quick charging in smartphones, the load becomes relevant after two years and the capacity decreases. My own experience: My Google Pixel 3 XL offered a capacity of 3,430 mAh after the purchase. After three years of use, I had to charge it twice a day – or use a heavy battery case.

Preorder Galaxy S22 series


The lifespan of the batteries is accompanied by Samsung’s new recycling campaign, which ensures fewer fishing nets in the sea but more fragile plastic parts in the S22 series. Samsung told us in an interview that recycled plastic is only used in certain components because Samsung cannot adequately ensure the quality itself. And these more fragile components ensure that the repairability of the S22 series is theoretically reduced again.

So for a longer lifespan, Samsung would have to go with a concept like we see in the Fairphone 4: with interchangeable components and affordable spare parts that can be easily ordered over the Internet. But that would be at the expense of value for money, and probably nobody wants to see an S22 in Fairphone design. Then dear spider!

Bitch mode off: Conclusion

In this comment, I deliberately positioned myself overly critically in order to put the update strategy, which has been praised by many, to the test. So what is left if we draw a line at this point?


Of course, it’s not a bad thing that Samsung delivers longer Android updates than any other manufacturer. I don’t want to express that with this article, despite the complaining mode. Especially since last year showed that other manufacturers like Xiaomi reacted to Samsung’s update strategy and went along with it. When Samsung takes a bold step and creates positive headlines, it has a big impact on the smartphone industry. And if these changes are positive, that in turn is positive for all Android users.

However, I predict that our “Goodbye S22” article about a last security update will no longer interest anyone in five years. The models that are now being sold will then have too short battery life and the Galaxy S27 at the latest will be too tempting. The target group of high-end smartphones is simply too interested in smartphones to walk around in 2027 with a cell phone from 2022. What are the people in the magnetic levitation ICE supposed to think when they look away from the mammoths that are swimming through Germany’s new flood areas? That would be full of “cringe” or what you will say.

Longer software support makes more sense to me in the price range where people see phones as a means to an end. I know many non-techies who would prefer to set up a cell phone once and then never change it again. At the same time, these people are not willing to buy a smartphone for 849, 1,049 or 1,249 euros. Even the Fairphone for just under 600 euros is too expensive if you’re not really into sustainability.

At the same time, new trends and technologies always start in the most expensive smartphones and then trickle down to the cheaper models. So am I too critical in my attempt to put Samsung’s extended update support to the test? What do you think of the development?

If you vote in my poll, I ask you to write me your opinion on the topic in the comments. Am I too critical of the topic and is it ultimately just about being able to theoretically use new cell phones for longer? I look forward to it!



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