Samsung kills support for the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+

[Redaktion]

Samsung continues to ignore those still using premium handsets that are far from museum material yet. The latest victims are the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ — both being barely three years old — which have just been dropped off the list of Samsung devices still receiving monthly security updates.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-kills-support-for-the-Galaxy-Note-5-and-Galaxy-S6-Edge.328856.0.html

[S.Yu]

My S6E has been lagging since a major update last year, well I've moved on already and the S6E is now backup.

[Ale]

Not sure the surprise, Samsung always had an 18 month software upgrade and 3 year security upgrade policy. Manufacturers can't update things indefinitely, otherwise my Note 3 still works well to this day.

That is where community steps in.

The bright side overall as far as security goes is that Google has built-in AV in Google Play and the web browser continues to get updates. So the chance of someone running into a security issue is highly unlikely.

[heffeque]

"Manufacturers can't update things indefinitely"

3 years is hardly "indefinitely" in my book, especially for perfectly capable phones as those, but I guess that LineageOS will have to be the solution for people who don't change smartphones more often than their underwear.

[ED]

"the chances of somene running into a security issue are highly unlikely"

#Ale this is not enough: recently multiple vulnerabilities were discovered in Bluetooth and WIFI; privilege escalation vulnerabilities are discovered almost monthly allowing malicious apps to root the phone and compromise other applications; last but not least, the Google Play Store requires a Google account, but one is entitled to own a secure product without giving up their privacy.

[ED]

Hopefully the European Commission will step in and prevent similar practices of planned obsolescence.

[Ale]

@heffeque - I never said 3 years is indefinitely, my point is that they can't update indefinitely. If we use how long a device is usable for, then that can be a really really long time. That said, with the recent trend of phones having built-in batteries (which I hate btw), 3 years seems about right.

@ED - There has not been a method to root via wifi/bluetooth in almost a decade. If you know of one, please share with the community.

Now to be clear, wifi/bluetooth privilege escalation do exist from time to time but not on a monthly basis as you claim. About once a year, maybe twice if you factor in vendor specific ones. But even then, most of these are extremely hard to exploit and Google Play handles it just fine.

Google Play store is installed by default on every samsung android device. You do not need to have a google account for the scanner to work.

[Tobin]

My S6E has been lagging since a major update last year, well I've moved on already and the S6E is now backup.

Exact same experience I've had with it, also after an update last year. Initially figured they'd get to correcting whatever they messed up to make it so slow, but nope. Almost feels like an effort users to upgrade  ???

[Darko]

Ah, another writer using the "kill" for something that doesn't have anything to with killing.
How about using appropriate, logical and mature terms such as "ends"?
Or "terminates"?

What a joke internet writing is becoming

[Codrut Nistor]

Darko, "killing" is used to highlight that this is a premature termination/ending of software support. Maybe "murder" would have been a good verb to complain about the way you did. Other than that, it's your opinion and we thank you for sharing it with us. We'll try to kill less and terminate/end more in the future.

[Clifford64]

I read an article stating T-Mobile is releasing Oreo for 6 and note 5.

[TheGhostRider]

I don't know I know this if Apple "and I can't stand any Apple products" if they can keep giving there phone the latest OS. going back as far as iPhone 4 or iPhone 5 and they are into IOS.12 and the phone came with IOS. 6 and stopped it at IOS 10. that's 4 almost 5 years before they discontinued security updates I don't see why android phones can't do the same 3 years ain't along time especially when you pay $700/$800 bucks for the phone and now you have to do the same thing again 3 years later that's sucks big time it should be a mandatory 5 years updates period..

[Codrut Nistor]

@Clifford64: It would be nice to post the link to that article as well if you mention it... ;)
@TheGhostRider: That would force them to make batteries that actually last for 5 years or at least return to the old-school design that allows for replaceable batteries.

[Adnan Hamza]

They are just thinking about there benifts not user friendly

[Mathew M George]

Me also using Galaxy Note 5 , resonantly Kuwait government introduced Kuwait Mobile civil ID App last version was working on it but now the new version not supporting the Android -7 , desperately i need update on Note -5 , Kuwait civil id App is an official  app , if android update is not there then my mobile i need to through and buy new one very sad. only 5 years after i should do so.