Samsung surprised us yesterday at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8 by announcing up to four years of Android updates for its latest high-end watches and smartwatches. It’s the biggest update support of any Android, surpassing even Google’s.
The Extended Android Security and Update Policy debuts with the latest versions, but also applies to older models. We tell you below exactly which models will receive these four years of updates.
Updates up to Android 16
Samsung has promised up to four years of updates and five years of security patches for its main mobiles: the latest versions of the Galaxy S, Galaxy Z and Galaxy Tab S series. The list of terminals with this extended support therefore goes back to a generation. also including the Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 (but not the Galaxy Tab S7, which launched in 2020).
The complete list of current mobiles that will receive four years of updates is therefore as follows. Note that the change will also apply to newer versions of these series and will include some future versions of “certain Galaxy A series models”. These are the devices that will have four years of Android updates and five of system updates:
Now, what does four years of updates mean? It’s basically another way of saying you’ll get four major Android updates (or UI, in case they stop updating at the same time). So far, Google has kept pace with releasing one new version of Android per year, so “years” and “versions” can be used interchangeably.
If that changed and suddenly Google released two versions of Android a year, everything indicates that what Samsung would offer would still be four updates. After all, the company is officially talking about “four generations of One UI and Android updates”, whether that happens in four, two or eight years.
This year’s top of the range will receive up to Android 16 or Android W. Last year, up to Android 15 or Android V
It’s impossible to predict which numbering Google will follow for future Android versions, but the latest Galaxy S22 and Tab S8 will therefore be updated to Android 13, Android 14, Android 15 and Android 16, or Android T, Android U, Android. V and Android W. They have almost finished the alphabet. Last year’s high ranges will remain one version further back: up to Android 15 or Android V.
Security updates work slightly differently. In this case, five years of security updates are guaranteed, from the moment the terminal was launched. That is, the latest ones will be updated until 2027, while the higher end ones from last year will receive the latest security update in 2026.
Here is a summary of what Samsung mobile updates look like. Remember that the extended period also applies to Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic smartwatches. In this case, it is not clear whether the four years included are from the system or from security.
Release year
launch android
The latest version of Android you will receive
Security fixes up to
Galaxy S22
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
Galaxy S22+
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
Galaxy S21
2021
Android 11
android 15
2026
Galaxy S21+
2021
Android 11
android 15
2026
samsung s21 ultra
2021
Android 11
android 15
2026
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
2021
Android 11
android 15
2026
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
2021
Android 11
android 15
2026
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
Samsung Tab S8 Ultra
2022
android 12
android 16
2027
This table includes previously released models. The new Samsung devices that will follow this policy will be those of the Galaxy S series, Galaxy Z, Galaxy Tab S and some of the Galaxy A series.
More information | Samsung
