It is a fire test for your update policy

All manufacturers have a huge challenge ahead: offer a minimum of five years of updates. It is a European policy that applies to everyone equally and that, however, has a small print: five years of updates is not the same as five years of major updates. That is why Samsung’s last movement is striking with his New Galaxy A17a low -end terminal that not only complies with European law, but goes one step further offering six years of operating system updates. And that is a fire test.

About the mobile. It is an entry range terminal with four or eight Gigas of RAM, 128 or 256 GB of internal storage, a processor Exynos 1330 For the 5G model and a Mediatek Helio G99 For the 4G model. The exynos dates from 2023, while the Helio G99 began to see it in 2022. In other words, they are somewhat old components and with little power whose objective is to maintain the relatively low price: 230 euros For the 4/128 GB version and 309 euros For 8/256 GB.

Samsung Galaxy A17 5g | Image: Mediamarkt

The software issue. It is where the crumb is. The device is launched with one UI 7 based on Android 15 and an ambitious promise: six years of operating system updates. That is, who bought this device aspires to try Android 21. This is something that, to date, was only possible in high -end mobiles. The difference is evident: a high -end mobile as the Z fold7 It has an engine with power more than enough to endure what they throw for a long time. The Galaxy A17 is another story.

The challenge. Updating a mobile is not pressing a button. It is a work that requires precise optimizations adapted to the hardware of each terminal. In addition, it is a job that will have to be done in more devices, since the Galaxy A17 5G of 2025 surely follows the Galaxy A17 (or A18) of 2026, the one of 2027, 2028, etc., which, in turn, will also have to be updated.

This concrete model will have to add all the others that, at least in Europe, will have to update for at least five years. In this way, the Samsung of the year 2030 will be updating tropecient mobiles that not only have to receive the update, but to continue working properly. Not only have to update Android 17 to Android 18, but to do so that the terminal remains usable.

Where is the challenge? In hardware. While a Snapdragon 8 Elite Or their Mediatek counterpart they have more than plenty of to endure the pull for five, six or seven years, an exynos 1330 or a Helio G99 have it more raw. It is not just that the processor already starts to fall short, but that a high -end device has faster memories (RAM LPDDR5X, UFS 4.1 memories…). In the long run, a low -end mobile, however updated it is, will begin to fall short of The constant glotton of the functions of the operating systemapps and games that, update after updating, demand more resources.

Samsung Galaxy A17 5g | Image: Mediamarkt

The fire test. The Galaxy A17 is, therefore, a device that is worth not losing sight. Not because of the device itself, but to see how a terminal of these characteristics evolves by being exposed to an ambitious update policy that, to date, only applied to the high -end terminals. Because remember: Samsung promises six years of operating system updates, while the EU demands a minimum of five years of dry updates. They do not specify that there are five Android jumps. What Samsung puts on the table is much more juicy.

The promise. Anyway, we cannot forget that this promise to offer five, six or seven years of Android updates is quite new. And above all, it is still about to fulfill. Removing Apple and Google, whose update policies speak for themselves, the rest of the brands have much to demonstrate.

Samsung He started offering seven years of updates from the Galaxy S24. Honor the same from Magic7 Pro Honor. Xiaomi promises Six years From the Xiaomi 15. Motorola five years From the EDGE 50 PRO. Oppo and Realme, on the other hand, four years in some of its most powerful mobiles. We cannot analyze this now, a year after these ads. We will have to do with this in 2029, 2030 and 2031. It will be then when we leave doubts and we will see whether or not the promise are fulfilling not only in the high range, but in the low and medium range.

Cover image | Mediamarkt, Pexels

In Xataka | The promise of the seven years of updates has a small print and we are already beginning to see it