At yesterday afternoon's Unpacked conference, Samsung sought to reassure future buyers of its flagships by announcing "up to three generations" of operating system updates. This includes security updates, but also new features. But that doesn't mean three major updates to Android. Explanations.
Galaxy Note 20
Yesterday was the big day for Samsung. At its traditional summer Unpacked conference, the Korean firm unveiled many products: Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Tab S7 and S7, Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Watch 3. Unlike the previous Unpacked conference, it was virtual because of the global coronavirus epidemic.
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Many times, Samsung has brought its products closer to the concept of "new normal," where telecommuting and social distance are the new standards for many of us. The firm presents the Galaxy Note 20 as a work tool par excellence. And to convince users to adopt it (while taking a break on environmental respect and the fight against obsolescence), Samsung made an announcement: the company is committed to updating the operating system of its terminals "up to three generations".
Samsung omits Android in its promise
On the screenshot we made from the conference livestream, you can see two promises: bring the latest features to older devices and maintain security updates, if the technical platform allows of course. This new policy starts from the Galaxy S10. So from the terminals that have been on sale since the first half of last year. And it concerns above all the higher ranges(S, Note and Z), although some Galaxy A could also benefit.
The choice of words is very important here: the firm speaks of "generations" of product, not year or version of Android. This means that the promise is more about the One UI overlay and the new software that will be integrated into it than the core of the operating system itself. So don't expect the Note 20, launched on Android 10, to get an Update to Android 13, for example. On the other hand, it could be compatible with some applications of the future Note which will be released in 2023.