When the device launched, Samsung promised 3 years of security updates and ultimately an update to Android 13. Via a promise to update the OS itself for at least three years. With this latest news, those updates won’t necessarily be arriving in a timely manner. Or, at the very least, not as timely.
How did Samsung change its update plans for the Galaxy A series?
More directly, Samsung now says that its plan to update the 4G Samsung Galaxy A51 — unlike some other series gadgets — will only mean updates twice per year on the security front. That’s as compared to the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G, which it says will receive updates quarterly. That equates to around four times per year, moving forward. Meaning that the 5G variant will see roughly double the number of security updates. The gadgets are still slated to receive their Android OS firmware updates. So they should still both get the bump to Android 12 and then Android 13. But users who may have hoped for more than a few security updates won’t be seeing that.
Does this really matter?
It’s important to note, of course, that Samsung never explicitly said that any of its devices would see regular monthly updates. However, given its track record with its flagship “S,” “Fold,” and “Flip” series devices, many likely hoped for something more. Especially since Samsung is one of the few companies actively challenging Google and its Pixel-branded handsets on the updates front. Of equal importance, the Samsung Galaxy A51 arrived way back in January 2020. Making this handset one of the longest-lasting on the market in terms of updates. Even among its top competitors.
