Smartphones do not make significant progress every year, which has led to more and more people keeping their phones for two, three or four years. Can the average Android phone last that long before running into issues?
This is a complex question to answer, so we have to break it down into several parts. First, the physical hardware of the phone has a fixed lifespan, with different access to repairs and warranty services. There’s also the software side to consider, including operating system updates, critical security patches, and application support. Since many different companies produce Android phones, the exact answers to these questions vary. many.
Equipment
Most modern smartphones are designed to withstand minor drops, drops and scrapes relatively well – aside from the cheapest devices, we’ve mostly outgrown the era of flimsy plastic, non-Gorilla Glass screens. But what about the internal hardware? Is there a Windows 11-like update on the horizon that will leave many existing Android phones stuck on an older version? Short answer: probably not.
Android hasn’t significantly changed its minimum requirements for many years, at least in terms of hardware. Instead, low-power devices are required to use Android Go edition, which has some limitations to improve performance and uses lighter system applications. For years, devices with 1GB of RAM or less had to use Go Edition, but Go is now required for anything with 2GB of RAM (or less) and 16GB of storage (or less).
For this reason, new Android updates generally don’t make a phone or tablet slower or less usable. Some devices may feel slower over time as you install more apps and fill up available storage, but deleting apps you don’t use (or going all the way with return to factory settings) can help. In my own experience, performing a factory reset on my Galaxy S21 after over a year of daily use made it a bit faster.
The main problem with any aging Android smartphone, like almost all portable electronic devices, is battery life. Lithium-ion batteries slowly lose capacity over time, and if you keep a phone for a year or more, you might start noticing that you need a charger earlier in the day. Unfortunately, most modern smartphones do not have easily replaceable batteries. stores like uBreakiFix and best buy Offer battery replacements for select Android phones in the US, but most of these services are limited to Samsung Galaxy devices – most other Android phone makers in America don’t have the relevance or infrastructure for the same support level.
You may also notice that the touchscreen becomes more and more covered in fingerprints over time, as the factory oleophobic coating starts to wear out. A screen protector is a quick and easy fix, if you don’t mind the extra bulk – in particular, a glass protector will look the most like a new phone screen. Paying a store to replace the front screen glass will also work, although it will cost more and take longer.
Android system updates
This is where things get complicated. Google is not responsible for updating every Android device, only its own. pixel series. For other phones and tablets, it’s up to the device manufacturer to push system updates. Take the Galaxy S22 as an example – after Google develops a new version of Android, Samsung modifies it with all required changes and some additional features, then pushes him towards the device. Each manufacturer has its own track record when it comes to updates, but Samsung and Google are generally the best in the business.
Every Google Pixel phone has been provided three years of major Android operating system updates (e.g. Android 12, Android 13, etc.) and monthly security patches. The Pixel 6 and later come with a five-year warranty for security patches. but the same number of major OS updates. This guaranteed support period begins when the phone is released, not when you buy it.
Samsung’s flagship phones and tablets are now guaranteed to receive four years of major OS updates, starting with Galaxy S21 series and later, Galaxy Z Fold3 and later, Galaxy Z Flip 3 and later, Galaxy Tab S8 series and later, and “select A-series devices.” The company’s other phones are generally limited to 2-3 years of support, with no specific warranty.
Other device manufacturers are generally worse. For example, OnePlus recently promised that “selected” phones released in 2023 and beyond would get four major software updates and five years of security patches, but the patches are fortnightly instead of monthly. Motorola only provides 1-2 years of updates for most of its phones, and some devices never get a major Android update.
Are Android updates important?
Most Android phones and tablets stop receiving major operating system updates and security patches long before the hardware becomes unusable, especially if the battery is replaced at some point. What happens when OS updates stop?
Most services and apps on Android devices are updated independently of the operating system, even some built-in system apps like Chrome and the Google Play Store – a stark contrast to the iPhone and iPad, where new features are found in apps like Safari and Apple Music. requires a full operating system update. This means that even when your device manufacturer has completed updates, your phone or tablet should continue to function normally for several years.
Google maintains most of its apps and services for many years after an Android version is released. For example, Google Play Services powers many APIs and the Play Store, and it’s still fully supported on Android 4.4, which first hit phones in September 2013. However, some apps and games don’t date back that far. the Facebook app requires Android 6.0 (from 2015) or higher, while Microsoft Outlook Wants Android 8.0 (from 2017) or newer. Even if you’re stuck on a version of Android from a few years ago, you’ll still be able to use new apps and some system features.
The catch is that new security vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered in Android (just like Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and other platforms), and if your device doesn’t receive OS security patches , it will gradually become more vulnerable to malware. Google PlayProtect can protect you from some malicious apps, and Google is updating both Chrome and WebView (the system component that loads web pages in most apps) for several years after the release of an Android version, which protects devices against web security vulnerabilities. However, having an Android device with regular system security updates is still the only way to be as protected as possible.
iPhones and iPads receive system updates much longer than the typical Android phone – the five-year-old iPhone 8 just got iOS 16 – but a few features are not deployed on older models. After the end of official iOS support, you do not receive everything new features or updates to most Apple apps, just occasional security updates. Compared to most Android devices, feature and security updates take much longer, but ultimately there’s a dead cut instead of a gradual slope to unsupported software.
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