The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ were released in 2018 and already received four years of software support, but will they receive any more updates in the future? The Galaxy S-series was initially launched with Android 8.0 Oreo onboard but received Android 9 Pie the following year and got the Android 10 treatment in 2020.
The Galaxy S10 lineup superseded the Galaxy S9-series in 2019, followed by the Galaxy S20-series in 2020. Last year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S21 range before announcing the Galaxy S22 line earlier this year. The latest lineup is led by the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which comes with a built-in S Pen and is marketed by Samsung as the true successor to its Galaxy Note lineup.
Samsung has removed the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ from its list of supported devices, which means they will no longer receive newer versions of Android, including Android 11 or Android 12. What's more, they will also not receive any further security patches, which means any unpatched security vulnerability will continue to remain a problem in both these devices. Since receiving the Android 10 update in 2020, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ have received security patches over the next couple of years in keeping with the company's earlier practice of supporting its premium devices for up to four years. However, it is now the end of the road for both devices in terms of official support from Samsung.
Earlier this year, Samsung promised four years of Android version updates for its premium devices, which means the Galaxy S22-series devices will be eligible for Android updates until 2026. After that, they will also receive a further year of security patches. However, the policy will only be applicable for newer devices starting with last year's Galaxy S21-series, which means older devices from the Galaxy S9 and S10 lineups will not benefit from the decision. Meanwhile, in addition to its decision to end support for the Galaxy S9 series, Samsung has also cut down on the frequency of security updates for its Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e smartphones. They will now only receive quarterly security updates instead of monthly.
While Samsung is ending official software support for the Galaxy S9 and S9+, it doesn't necessarily mean that the device owners will have to buy new phones to experience all the new features in Android 11 and 12. There's plenty of third-party development for both these devices in terms of custom ROMs based on the latest Android release. These can be downloaded and installed from XDA by tech-savvy users if they want to eke out an extra couple of years from their trusty old phones. Of course, installing custom ROMs is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is a solid option for enthusiasts and power users.
Source: Samsung
