Apple promises fewer years of iPhone security updates than Samsung and Google on paper, but reality is a different story

Historically, Apple has been hesitant to commit to solid timelines of how long it will support its devices with security and software updates. Now, thanks to a particular UK legal requirement, that has changed. And what the company is promising on paper is surprisingly less than what Samsung and Google commit to—but that’s not the full story.

Five years minimum, with an emphasis on ‘minimum’

According to a public regulatory filing, Apple has committed to support its latest iPhone 15 models for a minimum of five years from their release. The requirement speaks primarily to security updates, so Apple is saying that it will provide at least five years of security updates for the iPhone 15, with the clock having started in September 2023 when it first launched.

Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority points out that this promise is actually two years less than what some of Apple’s biggest competitors offer:

Both Samsung and Google guarantee seven years of not just security updates but also Android OS updates for their respective flagship devices, which is two years longer than what Apple guarantees.

Do Androids get better security support than iPhones?

So do iPhones really receive less support than flagship Galaxy and Pixel phones? Not exactly. Rahman continues:

To Apple’s credit, though, it has long provided more than five years of security updates for its various iPhone devices. Some iPhones have received security updates six or more years after the initial release, which is far more support than the vast majority of Android devices receive. So, while Samsung and Google currently beat Apple in terms of how long they’re guaranteeing software support, that doesn’t mean iPhone users can’t keep their phones for just as long, if not longer.

iPhones have a strong track record of being used and supported by Apple for periods long past this five year guarantee. For example, iOS 15 shipped a security update this March that runs on the iPhone 6s, a device that’s nearly nine years old.

It is peculiar that Apple wouldn’t commit to matching the seven-year guarantees of Samsung and Google, but iPhone users shouldn’t worry about their devices losing security updates at the five-year mark. Apple’s track record shows that it’s better than that.