Firmware
What to do after your Samsung Galaxy Phone gets farewell from major OS (One UI & Android) update eligibility list?
After a time, every device becomes ineligible for regular updates, no matter if they are security patch updates or major OS or UI updates. It becomes pretty insecure and problematic if your device no longer gets any updates, as they are indeed helpful for resolving any issue that appears on the device and also help to make it malware free. Let’s know why it is insecure and problematic and what to do when that happens.
Informatively, in terms of Samsung, they provide three and four years of OS updates according to the device’s category. In specific, the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z foldable series phones get four years of OS updates along with some mid-range Galaxy A devices. Besides, other lower-end and budget phones get least updates than four. These updates bring bug fixes, performance improvements, some novelties, and more with them.
Let us tell you when the Galaxy smartphone stops receiving OS updates; the first disadvantage is its Android version will now be the same forever and can’t be changed in the newer one. Besides, it also becomes eligible for any improvements that Google provides in its Android. However, regular security updates still make their way to those devices, but that too for a limited period. Samsung provides five years of security patch updates.
If you are unaware, security patch updates basically fix vulnerabilities that appear on your device’s Operating System and protect it from malware attacks. Hence, as long as your device is getting security patches, there is nothing to worry about. Besides, Google has also come up with a solution for it- Project Mainline, which helps to update some parts of the OS using the underlying platform, so you don’t need to rely on OTA updates.
What to do if your Galaxy phone will not get update?
Notably, Google can also bring new tools and features to the device without depending on the Operating System. If you are still unsatisfied with those, there are some other options as well, which will help you let your device experience a new life even if it no longer gets any OS updates. These ideas are listed below.
You can install an unofficial ROM: To update the Android version, you can get help from a third-party ROM. Their developers have made those unofficial ROMs compatible with nearly all devices from all brands.
Can use third-party applications: If you are willing to experience the latest Android version’s offerings, you can use a third-party application for that. All you have to do is find the right application.
Nota bene, we suggest you choose a smartphone with the maximum number of OS updates possible, along with five years of regular security patch updates. It is the best way to keep your device safe and updated for a long time.
Google has started developing its next big iteration, Android 15. To prepare it for the Android device, the company has already started rolling out the beta updates. Earlier this month, the company rolled out the beta 1 update, which introduced a plethora of new features. However, being a beta update, it comes with a lot of bugs, so to fix them, it introduced the next beta 1.1 update, which fixed a crucial NFC bug. Now that it has brought a new update in the form of the beta 1.2 update, it is also coming with a lot of new bug fixes.
What’s new with the Android 15 beta 1.2 update?
Google has officially announced that the company will roll out the new Android 15 beta 2.1 update, which will provide several new fixes related to the freeze display, fix a system performance issue, resolve a system setting crash when trying to add a fingerprint, and many more. Check out the official changelog below.
Android 15 beta 1.2 update changelog
This minor update to Android 15 Beta 1 includes the following fixes:
- I fixed an issue that sometimes caused apps to freeze and display an “Application Not Responding” message. (Issue #328865524)
- Fixed a system performance issue that caused excessive battery drain in some cases. (Issue #335718464, Issue #335188185)
- Fixed an issue that caused the system Settings app to crash when trying to add a fingerprint. (Issue #334035378, Issue #335481930)
- Fixed an issue that prevented the system back gesture from working in some cases. (Issue #331303569, Issue #334738577)
- Fixed an issue that could cause the screen to flicker repeatedly. (Issue #325555461)
The latest beta update is now live for all the eligible Pixel devices; more specifically, it has started rolling out to the Pixel 6 or nearby devices. The latest update is coming with the firmware version number AP31.240322.027. The latest update is coming with the same April 2024 security patch that has already arrived with previous updates. To check for the new version, you just need to go to the system settings, select software update, touch the system update, and tap the check for updates button. You may have to tap the button more than once to trigger the download, but if all this fails, then you can also manually install the update via official factory image files.
We are now at the end of April, but Samsung is still expanding the monthly update for the devices, even though it has rapidly distributed the update to almost all of them. This is due to server limitations, and now the company is rolling out the update for the Galaxy M33 5G and Galaxy A23 5G.
Notably, the Galaxy M33 5G and Galaxy A23 5G are getting an April 2024 security patch update with the firmware version numbers M336BXXS7DXD1 and A236BXXU5DXD6, respectively. With the latest update, these devices don’t get any significant changes but will enhance their security.
For your information, the April 2024 security patch update provides more than 40 fixes, whereas Google has added 27 fixes that address issues related to the Android OS. Meanwhile, Samsung has also added 17 more fixes that will improve the functioning of the Galaxy devices.
You can check for the latest update by going to the system software update via system settings. The April 2024 update will protect users against external threats that can harm important data and provide a seamless experience while using any feature.
If you haven’t received the update on your devices yet, then you should have to wait some more time. Sometimes it takes time to provide every unit of the device. However, once the update becomes available.
Samsung has recently introduced a new software update for multiple devices; however, initially it was spotted on the high-end devices belonging to the Galaxy S series and Galaxy Z series. Now, with the latest development, the company has started rolling out the update to several Galaxy A series devices.
According to the information, Samsung has made a significant software update live for the Galaxy A55, Galaxy A35, Galaxy A54, Galaxy A34, Galaxy A25, Galaxy A15 5G, and A15 4G. It is worth noting that the update has been detected in the European region and is expected to be limited to that only.
According to the latest update, the device will now support the 4G TDD band. However, Samsung has not provided any details about how this feature will benefit Galaxy device users. Based on my observations, it appears that the update will enhance stability and speed on the 4G network.
Here’s the build Numbers:
- Galaxy A55 5G – A556BXXU1AXC4
- Galaxy A35 5G – A356BXXU1AXBB
- Galaxy A34 5G – A346BXXU6BXD2
- Galaxy A25 5G – A256BXXU1AXC8
- Galaxy A15 5G – A156BXXU1AXC4
- Galaxy A15 4G – A155FXXU1AXC4
The company has stated that devices purchased in Germany and used in other countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, will not function in the 4G TDD band.
If you are using any of the above-mentioned smartphones in Europe, then you should start getting new updates. To install them on your device, simply go to the software update menu via the system settings, wait for the update, and then hide the download button that appears.
Ranjit Bhonsale
March 20, 2023 at 4:11 am
Too much of fact and less about the topic. What to do with a totally usable device? Do even these “other” OS support the older hardware?