Despite the fact that the minimum period of software support for smartphones under control Android, at Google's insistence, is two years, sometimes even it is not observed. This does not happen often, but from time to time this or that manufacturer dares to make a statement that the power of yesterday's flagship was not enough to update, and now all that users can count on is a few quarterly security patches. Therefore, if a smartphone is updated not for two years, but for three, it instantly becomes a real holiday and an occasion to honor a loyal manufacturer.
Galaxy S8 is already three years old and it can still get Android 10
The Galaxy S8 and S8 +, and hence the Galaxy Note 8, which came out with them in the same year, will receive an update to Android 10. This was reported to SamMobile by Samsung technical support. Despite the fact that for these three smartphones the latest version of the operating system was supposed to be Android 9 Pie, released back in 2019, the company's employees assure that at least one more system update is shining for the owners of the devices. According to them, its release is scheduled for 2020, but the exact date has not yet been determined.
Android 10 for Galaxy S8
Samsung tech support promises Android 10 for Galaxy S8
How true is the information provided by SamMobile? Well, personally, I would recommend taking it with a fair amount of skepticism for several reasons. Samsung really has a habit of testing new versions Android even for 3 year old smartphones. This was the case with Android 8 for the Galaxy S6 and with Android 9 for the Galaxy S7. Another thing is that the testing has never ended with a release, which means that it is also not worth counting on the Galaxy S8, S8 + and Galaxy Note 8 to receive Android 10. But the arguments don't end there.
This week Samsung published a document on updating its branded devices to Android 10. It outlines the release date for the new OS version for both smartphones and tablets, including budget ones, until the fall of 2020, however there are no flagships three years ago. Probably, it can be assumed that this list is not final and may be supplemented over time, but it is so extensive that I personally doubt that any changes await it.
Why Galaxy J6 is better than Galaxy S8
Of course, I am also genuinely surprised by the fact that some Galaxy J6 will receive Android 10, but Galaxy S8 will not. It is clear that the hardware of the G8 is many times greater than what lies at the heart of the Galaxy J line smartphones, but for Samsung this is unlikely to serve as an argument to extend support for the three-year-old flagships for another year. After all, if the manufacturer says that the device's performance is not enough to update, then it is so. Otherwise, why not release an update?
Well, of course, because updates do not bring profit to manufacturers, but, on the contrary, force them to spend money on development, testing, optimization and, of course, paying salaries to employees who are engaged in this. And since Google does not impose specific requirements for the timing of smartphone updates, it means there is no point in pretending to be D'Artagnan and trying to win the love of consumers with long-term support. After all, love won in this way will not bring money either.