Samsung is dropping monthly security updates for a pair of popular legacy devices, effectively rendering the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ phones obsolete.
SamMobile reports the two phones have been removed from the list of devices receiving the September 2018 security patch, spelling the end of the road for the 2015 smartphones.
Given Samsung usually promises two years of support for their new handsets, it’s hardly surprising to see this pair drop off the list. However, it’ll come as a blow to those still using the highly capable Android devices.
As is the case with these two handsets, Samsung has stretched out support for up to three years on higher-end devices, but the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ have now reached the end of the line.
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Of course, this doesn’t mean owners of the phones are going to have to dump them completely. The handsets will still be perfectly usable, and may still get updates from Samsung on a less-frequent timeline.
The monthly security update plan was devised by Google as an easy way for manufacturers to provide protection against emerging security threats. Not all manufacturers have been prudent on rolling out the monthly updates, but Samsung users are among those receiving them in a decent amount of time.
Both devices received the August update, so if you haven’t downloaded it yet head to the Software Update settings menu on your Samsung phone.
From here on it may be time to consider updating to newer Samsung flagships like the Galaxy S9 or the Galaxy Note 9, if you want your phone to be protected from new threats to Android.
Are you a Note 5 owner still desperately clinging to your old S Pen? Will this cause you to consider upgrading your Samsung smartphone? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
