In this article, we will compare Android vs iOS in terms of receiving updates, as well as reviewing the software update status of different companies producing Android phones to see which of them will update their phones to the new operating system for a longer period of time.
If you are an Apple phone user, you know for sure that the product you have in hand performs better in terms of receiving updates from all the phones around you. Previously, we thought that Apple would update its phones for a maximum of 5 years, but this year we realized that this amount can go beyond 5 years and enter 6 years, and this is more than extraordinary for a smartphone.
But what is the main reason for this? In fact, Apple is both a software maker and a hardware maker. That is, he designs both the chip of his phones and their operating system. Therefore, the shell, or in other words, the same user interface is no longer considered for different models, because all the phones of this company are equipped with iOS and are integrated into this regard. That’s why the American company supports its phones for a long time without any problems.
But among the manufacturers of Android phones, we have not yet seen a company that has been updating its phones to the new operating system for more than three years, and the main reason for this is that after the official release, Android must first be customized by these companies. And according to their taste. We see that there are different user interfaces in the Android world, including Xiaomi MIUI, Samsung One UI, OxyegnOS OnePlus, etc. because each company actually has a different taste in using Android on its phones.
It is because of the different interfaces that when companies receive Android, they have to spend a lot of time customizing it so that they can get the new operating system to their phones. As a result, it is only natural that they should support their products for a shorter period of time, as this process is really time-consuming and tedious; However, Apple does not suffer from such a troublesome situation at all.
However, over the past few years, Android phone companies have gradually tried to get closer and closer to iOS in terms of software update time for their phones. Although no company has yet been found in the Android world that has been updating its handsets to the new operating system for more than three years, the goal is to get as close to Apple as possible, not to become the best software support company.
Of course, the difference between Android and iOS phones is very large, and if we want to mention all of them in this article, it is not possible and it is beyond the boredom of the text. But considering the capabilities of both ecosystems, we can finally conclude that what distinguishes the two, and what really matters, is the software update, which puts iOS at a great distance.
However, as mentioned, the companies tried to reduce their distance from Apple. A few years ago, even comparing companies to Apple was ridiculous, as companies eventually upgraded their phones to the new operating system for two years. But it was not until 2020 that we saw that they had entered three years. Although we are in 2021, no company is close to five years yet, but it seems that we are getting closer and closer to it every year, and there are even some phones that will be updated by their manufacturer for up to 4 consecutive years.
But it seems that the situation for Android is improving. According to the news, Google wants to support its new flagships, the Pixel 6 series, for 5 years, so that it is not only unrivaled in the Android world, but also worthy of competing with Apple representatives. These phones will most likely be unveiled and launched in the fall, so we expect news about them to be released in the next few weeks or months.
Of course, some news agencies believe that 5 years of support for Google’s expected products does not mean an Android update; It includes three major software updates and a 5-year security update. This means that after three years, Pixel phones will no longer receive the Android update, but will be updated in terms of security for up to two years. This amount of software updates is still two years less than what Apple has put on its agenda, but it is considered good for an Android phone and can increase competition in this area.
Of course, Google apparently intends to produce the Pixel 6 series processor exclusively with the help of Samsung. On the other hand, it is the software maker itself. That’s exactly what Apple has to say, and it’s weird why the company, which needs to offer a wider range of services to reach its audience, is still on a three-year software update.
But now that we know that Apple has been supporting software on its phones for about 5 years and releasing a new version of iOS for them, it is not bad to take a look at the companies that make Android phones to see how the software updates are in this regard.
Android vs iOS
Samsung
Samsung is the largest smartphone maker in the world and is currently the leader in terms of sales. In the company’s product portfolio, unlike Apple, from the bottom to the top, there are a wide variety of handsets in different price ranges for which the software upgrade policy is different and follows a specific procedure.
Prior to the launch of the Note 20 series last year, the Korean company had been updating all of its handsets to the new operating system for two years. But at the introductory event of the Note 20 series, the Korean company announced the update time of all its flagships from the S series and the Note 10, which were launched in 2019 with Android 9, and a series of powerful interfaces such as the Galaxy A51, A71 and 2 They are eligible to receive a new version of Android for three years.
This news was very valuable because, among the companies that make Android phones, no company supported their phones so regularly and for a long time. It should also be noted that the software upgrade period for the cheaper handsets and weaker intermediates remained the same for two years, which still seems quite reasonable in relation to the cost paid for them. Of course, this policy did not only apply to phones, but also to tablets, in order to increase Samsung’s popularity and popularity among users.
In early 2021, however, another positive change in the Korean company’s update policy was that more than 130 models of Galaxy phones from the S series to the Note, Z (clamshell phones), Galaxy A, Galaxy XCover, and Galaxy Tab tablets From 2019 onwards, they are supported by Samsung for 4 years in terms of security; That’s two years more than Google wants from Android companies. This means that if you use a Samsung flagship that you have purchased since 2019, not only will you be supported by software for three years, but you will also be eligible for a security update for an additional year.
More interestingly, the Enterprise versions of the Galaxy S20 series, which includes all three models, plus the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy XCover 5, and Galaxy Tab Active 3 series, will be able to receive software updates for 5 years. Of course, as the name implies, ordinary users are not able to take advantage of this, but nevertheless, it is a service that is offered under the name of Samsung for a certain group of people.
PhoneArena, however, spoke to Samsung about the Korean company’s future plans for software updates and possible policy changes, the outcome of which will be announced soon. Thus, in case of publishing official statements in this regard, this article will definitely be updated.
Google is the maker of the Android operating system and very good Pixel phones. Those users who want to experience Android without any shells or user interfaces can buy Pixel phones, which, of course, are not as easy to access in the country market and have a high price.
But in terms of software updates, what about Google? Google wants Android phone makers to support their phones for at least two years in terms of security and software. Of course, we see that some companies only do this for a year, but this is the law that exists. But Google itself has been updating the Pixel phones to the new operating system for three years, and at the same time, it regularly supports them in terms of security.
But the rumors and rumors indicate that the American company intends to change the software update policy of its phones and support them for 5 years after the unveiling of the Pixel 6 series. In this way, the company will not only be able to compete with Apple in this regard but will also be able to have the best performance among Android companies; That’s what it should be and we expect it to be because it is both a software maker and a hardware maker with the Pixel 6 series.
With this policy, Google will probably do two things positively. One is that it might make Apple once again extend its product life by more than five years to be the best it can be, as it did this year; Second, companies such as Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and others that make Android phones are definitely trying to stay competitive in the market as much as possible to increase their software support time.
But what may continue to make Google, and Android in general, superior to iOS in terms of security updates, is that Google releases security updates for its Pixel phones on a regular and monthly basis so that they do not have any security issues. Apple, on the other hand, does not have consistent behavior in this regard, and accidentally or in the worst-case scenario when a security breach is detected in iOS, it releases security updates for its phones. If Google, like Apple, were selling phones in so many markets around the world and was so popular, it could certainly be a tough competitor to Cupertino, but a series of misguided policies have led Google to succeed in only a limited number of markets. Busy phone sales.
OnePlus
OnePlus, which has gradually established itself as a flagship killer, is a Chinese company that also has some great products. Initially, the company started with the introduction of powerful and inexpensive handsets, and after being able to achieve high popularity, it now also produces mid-range and economical handsets.
OnePlus did not have good conditions in updating its products until some time ago it decided to increase the software and security updates of its flagships from two, three to three and four years, respectively. Of course, this is only for the company’s flagships, and the series rolling intermediates, ie original rolling and rolling 2, which were also introduced yesterday, are supported for one year less, that is, two and three years, in terms of software and security. For economical N-series handsets, this amount reaches one and three years.
You can read the full statement of OnePlus regarding the software update of its products in full below:
We have recently changed the software update policy of our phones and we are proud to announce it now. Under the new policy, the flagship series, which also includes the T and R models, will be eligible to receive three new versions of Android and four years of security updates from 2020, the OnePlus 8 series onwards. CE rolling and rolling phones, which include the original rolling and its new generation, namely rolling 2, receive 2 software updates and 3 years of security updates, and the N rolling series, which includes rolling N10 and N100 and all subsequent models, 1 Android version and They receive a security update for 3 years.
Unfortunately, this new policy does not apply to good OnePlus 7 series phones and only to new phones. The company’s new phone, the OnePlus 9T, which is expected to hit the market this fall, will naturally be included in the rule, but it is unclear what other effects the merger with Oppo will have on the new OnePlus policy. Because this increase in support time also took place after the merger of the two companies.
Motorola
Motorola’s relationship with the software update is not good at all and it does not have a specific procedure. In fact, when you buy a product under the Motorola brand, you should know that the manufacturer has no obligation beyond the standard for software updates or support for its products, and this is not a good thing for the company or users because users’ interests in Motorola will disappear and the company will lose its users over time.
If you remember, the company’s flagship phone, which was priced at around $ 1,000, was supposed to get only one version of Android; That means only one year of software support. But public pressure prompted Motorola to back down from its irrational move, raising that to two years. Below you can read Motorola’s latest statement regarding its software support policy for mobile phones.
Motorola is committed to making the software experience enjoyable for its users. There will be no news of non-functional and similar applications, and in terms of software support, we are constantly working with our partners and internal team to ensure that our users have the latest and best technology on their phones.
Motorola is also committed to delivering security packages to phones on a regular basis and at specific times as recommended by Google. Although smartphones can not be supported indefinitely, we offer security updates according to our standard for both regular phones and phones that are part of the Android One project.
In addition, more essential applications can be updated through the Play Store. Google and Motorola are working to expand the number of apps that can be updated through the Play Store so that they can update apps such as camera, user interface, Moto Experience, messenger apps, and much faster than the operating system.
Of course, despite such statements, but when you buy a phone from Motorola, you must also accept that the time to update the software and security of the device reaches one or two years, and there is no specific procedure in this area. So if you care about software updates, Motorola may not be able to meet your needs, even though it is a great company in terms of hardware.
Sony
Sony is a popular and well-established smartphone company that had a lot of users and fans a few years ago, but after a series of wrong policies, it was left in the lurch and is now on the verge of oblivion. However, every year we see that the Japanese company launches several handsets in the market, which include economy and flagship handsets.
For the company’s flagships, there is no clear and regular update policy, and we do not know at all when we are going to receive an update when we buy a Sony brand phone, and this is really unfortunate. A company that priced its flagship (Sony Xperia 1 brand 3) at around $ 1,300 and is fully aware of users’ priorities still pursues exactly the policy that goes against their wishes, and this is very strange. It was even recently reported that the Xperia 1 Mark 3, which was also unveiled with Android 11, is set to end with another version of Android, Android 12, and this is not at all acceptable for buyers of flagship phones. Be.
Most likely, at least in terms of security, you will be able to count on receiving updates for two years, but still, compared to other Android companies, Sony does not have a specific procedure in this regard. Earlier, it was reported that Sony wants to update the handsets that have been unveiled since 2020 to the new operating system for three years, but with the news that has been released about the company’s flagship, it does not seem to be news.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is best known for offering cheap, powerful, and powerful handsets and has been able to gain popularity among users. The purchase value of the company’s handsets is so high that few people worry about receiving software updates. However, the Chinese company has a relatively good performance in this area and its products can be purchased safely.
Xiaomi, which recently surpassed Apple to become the world’s second-largest smartphone maker, has the strongest performance in software updates for its handsets among other companies; The company may not actually update its Android phones at all, but instead values its user interface very much. So that you may have a phone from Xiaomi that has been updated to only one version of Android after two years, but it has definitely received at least three versions in terms of the user interface.
If you are one of those people who are interested in software updates and features that are added to the phone as a result, this Xiaomi policy is complete to your taste because even old phones can benefit from it and we saw that the time to update the company’s phones (User interface) It can take up to four years.
During talks with Xiaomi, the Chinese company was scheduled to issue a statement regarding its software and security update for its handsets, in which case we will update this article.
Huawei
Huawei, which almost all of us know what has happened to it. On the one hand, an understanding, a breach of law, or whatever happened made the Trump administration suspicious of the Chinese company and stigmatized it for collaborating with the Chinese Communist government. Although Huawei acquitted itself of the allegations, this did not put the company under pressure from sanctions. As a result, Huawei was initially sanctioned by Google in terms of software, and its phones could no longer officially use Android after September 2019.
After the embargo, Huawei tried to design and invest in its own operating system. As a result, Harmony was developed as the company’s proprietary operating system and used in its handsets, but the United States was not satisfied with the sanctions and barred Huawei from receiving 5G chips using US technology. The embargo left Huawei completely out of the way of progress and is now in a quagmire where more paddling will only cause it to sink.
But in terms of software, you may have forgotten exactly what policy Huawei pursued. But you can read a summary of what the company did in this regard below. It should be noted that the company’s phones, which also use the Android operating system, do not support Google services such as Gmail, Chrome, YouTube, etc.
Protecting the privacy and security of users has always been Huawei’s first priority, and the company has taken all necessary measures to maintain this important. We fully adhere to the principles of data privacy throughout the design of a product and its development process. We are constantly releasing security updates for our users and will continue to provide technical support if needed.
Huawei phones are usually software rich, but now it does not matter how much the company’s phones are able to get a new version of Android because it no longer makes much sense. It remains to be seen how long the company will support its handsets equipped with the Harmony operating system.
As you can see, it seems that the company closest to Apple in terms of operating system updates is Samsung, which has been releasing a new version of Android for its phones for 3 years, while Apple has increased this amount to 5 years for updating its phones. . It remains to be seen how much the current policy that companies have adopted in terms of software support for their phones will change with the introduction of the Pixel 6 series.
Android vs iOS
