Samsung to offer five years of support for phones, tablets and smartwatches

Google recently announced five years of security updates for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro flagship phones, and Samsung has followed its lead. It now guarantees five years of security support for a range of existing and new phones, tablets and smartwatches.

If your device qualifies, you'll get an extra year of update support including four years of One UI and Android OS updates, giving you the latest usability features for longer.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the latest smartphone to come with five years of support and the Which? review is hot off the press. Check out the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review and read on to find out more about Samsung's new policy.

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Which Samsung devices will get five years of security support?

Not every Samsung smart device will receive five years of updates, but this is a step in the right direction from the industry giant. Here are the devices that qualify:

• Galaxy S Series: The upcoming Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra and any other upcoming S series phones. It also includes the Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra that were released in 2021 and the S21 FE 5G released in 2022.
• Galaxy Z Series: The already released Galaxy Z Fold3, Galaxy Z Flip3 and any newly released Z series phones.
• Galaxy A Series: Only a select number of A series phones that are not yet released.
• Galaxy Tablets: Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra and future Tab S series devices.
• Galaxy Watch: The Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch4 Classic and any Galaxy Watches that will come out in the future.

You don't have to have bought your Samsung device after the announcement to benefit from the extra support. If you already own a device listed above, it will now receive five years of support from launch.

We put every phone we test through a rigorous assessment. Read all of our Samsung phone reviews to find out which models impressed us the most.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G on test - £699

The long-awaited 'cheap' phone in Samsung's S21 series launched in January 2022 with five years of security support. It's not hugely different to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G from September 2020, but it has some interesting improvements.

It comes with an updated processor, the toughest Gorilla Glass display on the market, and a feature when you can record videos using the front and rear cameras simultaneously. These features are included in the rest of the S21 series, but the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G cameras aren't as advanced, like with the omission of 8K video recording. But don't let this put you off - it still has a high-spec triple camera system on the rear of the phone that shouldn't disappoint.

This Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G will set you back £699 for 128GB, or £749 for 256GB.

Read our new review of the Samsung S21 FE 5G, or check out the best Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G contract deals.

Samsung Galaxy S22 series price and release date

The new flagship series from Samsung should be available to buy in the UK on 11 March 2022. The full line-up is being released for the same price as the S21 range and these phones will all receive five years of security updates. Here's what's in the line-up:

• Samsung Galaxy S22 5G As the 'base' phone from the new range, the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G comes with some of the best specs on the market including 8K video recording, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and a Dynamic AMOLED display with 2,340 x 1,080 resolution. However, the S21 had all of this as well. The design is practically identical too, apart from the new glass panel on the back of the phone for a premium feel. Other improvements include a higher-resolution main camera and better optical zoom. But it also has a lower-res telephoto camera, a smaller 6.1-inch screen, and a smaller battery. The S22 5G is being released at £769 for 128GB and £819 for 256GB.
• Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G This phone has the same processor, memory options and colours as the S22 model. The only differences between the S22 5G and S22+ 5G are the size of the phone and battery. You get an impressive 6.6-inch screen, which may suit the gamers among us. Prices start at £949.
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra This model comes with all the bells and whistles and a price to match. Starting at £1,149 you get 128GB of memory, a 5,000mAh battery and a huge 3,088 x 1,440 resolution display. There are variations up to a huge 1TB of memory, which would set you back £1,499. It has a completely different design to its predecessor, the S21 Ultra, and it comes in seven colours.

Why are security updates important?

Any device that is connected to the internet needs regular security updates to keep your personal information secure. Using a phone that isn't supported is more vulnerable to be exploited by hackers. Some phone manufacturers only guarantee support for a pitiful two years from the phone's release date. Apple is still the manufacturer supporting phones for the longest with some models released in 2013 still receiving updates.

Buying a second-hand or refurbished phone can help you buy your tech more sustainably and help you to save money. However, be careful when buying to make sure the phone is not already out of support. Our Which? reviews can help. We place a security notice on reviews when a phone is estimated to be out of support, and we would never recommend you buy a phone that has less that one year left of estimated support. It's a particularly important consideration for the second hand market, since update support begins when a mobile phone is first launched. Check out more advice from Which? on buying second-hand phones.

Find out more about mobile security and use our Which? phone support calculator to see how long your phone may be supported for