Smartphone brands with the best software updates

Many manufacturers now offer multi-year update support, with generous policies that apply to a wide range of devices. In this article, we take a look at three smartphone brands that stand out for their best update policies.

Google

Google tops the list with its commitment to provide seven years of Android OS updates, including security patches and new features. This policy also applies to older phones. For example, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 models have received two additional years of software updates thanks to this policy.

Google Pixel is the best Android smartphone with software support.

That makes Google's Pixel phones an ideal choice for users who don't want to change smartphones often.

Apple

Apple is known for providing extensive software support for its iPhone models. When the iPhone 6 was released, it committed to providing operating system updates for five years. Although no specific schedule was announced, the iPhone 6s, which launched with iOS 9, received an update to iOS 15.

Apple supports at least 5 updates for iPhone.

Recently, under pressure from government agencies, notably in the UK, Apple confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro would receive at least five years of updates. However, in practice, Apple often goes beyond this commitment by releasing more updates, as long as the device's hardware can support the new features.

Samsung

Samsung is equally impressive, offering up to seven years of software updates and security patches for many devices, including some tablets. Samsung also offers up to six years of warranty on some of its budget Galaxy A series models, which is rare among its competitors.

Galaxy phones are also getting better and better in terms of software support time.

Moreover, Samsung is known to be one of the brands that are quick to release new OS updates for both its flagship and mid-range lineups, although the company has been struggling recently with the One UI 7 update.

Micah Soto

Update 12 February 2025