Smartphone manufacturers’ latest green commitment

To coincide with the upcoming release of its new line of Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones, the South Korean manufacturer has announced that these new models will be entitled to seven years of operating system updates. This follows a trend initiated by other manufacturers, with the aim of extending the lifespan of handsets and limiting the proliferation of electronic waste.

The good news for all future Samsung Galaxy S24 owners is that they will be able to benefit from operating system updates for seven years. This will ensure that their device stays up to date in terms of performance and functionality, but also in terms of security.

Samsung joins Google and Apple, who have already made the same promise for their latest Pixel and iPhone lines. These will continue to receive Android and iOS updates seven years after their release. If necessary, important security updates can even be pushed out at a later date.

Usually, smartphone updates rarely exceed four or five years, quickly rendering them obsolete or incompatible with certain applications. This period can be even shorter for low-end models. By extending the duration of their device updates, these manufacturers also hope to have a positive impact on the environment. The idea is to use your smartphone for as long as possible and, consequently, limit the production of electronic waste in the years to come.

Extending the duration of operating system updates is not the only decision recently taken by manufacturers to protect the environment. Samsung and Google, as well as Motorola and Nokia, have joined forces with iFixit to offer repair kits for most of their latest models. For its part, Apple offers an equivalent service, called Self Service Repair. The idea is to be able to replace the faulty part(s) at lower cost, rather than having to buy a new handset when a fault occurs. – AFP Relaxnews