Samsung Galaxy phones lose software updates amid EU sustainability rules

Samsung has ended software support for four of its 2021 Galaxy smartphones – the Galaxy A52s 5G, Galaxy A03s, Galaxy M32 5G and Galaxy F42 5G – after the four‑year period promised for security patches expired. The devices will no longer receive system updates, increasing the risk of exploitation of newly discovered vulnerabilities, although they remain functional for most everyday apps.

At the same time, the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which will take effect in June 2025, obliges manufacturers to provide a minimum of five years of software updates for smartphones, but the rule does not apply retroactively to models released before that date. Consumers can verify a device’s update status through the phone’s settings or sites such as endoflife.date, and are advised to avoid sensitive transactions on unpatched phones.

The situation highlights growing consumer concerns over Android device longevity and security, especially as new regulatory standards aim to extend software support for future devices.