Time to Upgrade Your Phone? Consider Investing in a New One
Samsung S20: Urgent Need to Update Your Smartphone for Security Reasons
In today’s digital world, threats are always looming, and it’s crucial to stay vigilant as scams have become a daily occurrence.
Ensuring that your devices are secure and protected is paramount to safeguarding your personal and financial data.
Smartphone manufacturers regularly release operating system updates to patch any vulnerabilities exploited by malicious actors.
The Impending Security Issues with Samsung S20
In 2020, Samsung introduced the successful and widely sold S20 model.
The company pledged to provide operating system updates for four years to ensure device security.
However, Samsung is gradually phasing out software updates for the S20 model, posing imminent security risks.
While Samsung continues to roll out updates for older phones, all models in the S20 series will soon encounter significant security issues.
The affected models include Samsung Galaxy 20, Samsung Galaxy S20+, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S20FE, Samsung Galaxy Note 20, and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
If you own one of these models, it’s advisable to consider switching to a newer device.
Starting from 2025, Samsung will reduce the frequency of software updates for these models to quarterly and will halt updates entirely by 2025.
This will leave the devices more vulnerable to security risks, increasing the likelihood of malware infections on outdated smartphones.
Protecting Your Device through Software Updates
Software updates act as a barrier to cyber threats by patching vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit.
Without regular updates, devices are at higher risk of security breaches.
Even owners of newer models should remain cautious, as the same fate may await the S21 series and subsequent models by 2026.
For those considering purchasing a recent Samsung model, there is good news: updates are guaranteed for seven years instead of the previous four.
While awaiting a device upgrade, it is advisable not to download applications containing sensitive data, such as banking apps on an outdated phone.
To check for available software updates, navigate to your phone’s settings, select the software update category, and proceed with the download and installation.
This process ensures that your device runs on the latest secure software, thwarting potential cyber-attacks.
Software updates may take a few minutes to download and install, and your device may restart during the process.
It is recommended to perform these operations at night when your phone is not needed for communication or work.
For further information on the Android 15 update and the list of Samsung smartphones receiving it, click here.