What is the oldest Samsung device that still receives software updates in 2026?
It’s important to know how long your phone will receive updates to decide when to upgrade.
Android 17 brought several productivity-focused improvements to smartphones this year. Naturally, newer devices will support future updates for at least a few years. But if you own a Samsung device that’s nearing its proverbial “end of life,” you might want to know if your phone will continue to receive updates. Samsung has already shipped Android 17-based One UI 9 to devices like the Galaxy Fold 8 series and the Flip 8.
Although security updates are typically pushed to phones well past their peak, software updates bringing significant changes aren’t as common. That goes double for Samsung’s affordable A-series. Longer support periods from smartphone manufacturers are a relatively new trend, meaning older generation phones don’t share this kind of longevity and may already be no longer supported.
Knowing how long a phone will be supported is essential when deciding whether to keep an existing phone or buy a new one. Here’s what you need to know about the phones Samsung hasn’t abandoned yet, from flagships to budget phones.
Which Samsung phones are still getting updates in 2026?
How long a Samsung smartphone receives Android updates depends on the device tier. Flagship products get support for up to 7 years, while mid-range devices get around 5-6 years. Economy models benefit from support of up to 4 years.
Here are the Samsung phones that will still receive Android updates in 2026:
And here are the Samsung tablets that will continue to receive Android updates in 2026:
These Samsung wearable devices will continue to receive updates this year:
- 2022 Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro will receive Wear OS updates until December 2026
What happens if your Samsung phone is no longer supported?
Manufacturers don’t warn you before cutting you off from software and security updates. You will need to search for your smartphone model online to check it. Samsung has a handy security update list you can check out. If you go to your Settings app and see that your phone hasn’t been updated in several months or years, it’s likely that your phone is no longer supported.
That deal on a refurbished model you spotted online might be moot if it loses access to updates during the year. If you lose security patches, your phone becomes vulnerable to all kinds of new threats from hackers.
As your phone runs out of additional updates, apps slowly become incompatible if built with the latest versions of the operating system. Worse yet, strange pop-ups and apps that appear without warning and gobble up your internet data could mean your device has been hacked. These are clear signs that you need a new phone.
