German lawmakers push for 7-year release period for Android and iOS updates

Long-term support is a key issue for smartphones, especially as Android smartphone manufacturers come under pressure to offer faster and more consistent software updates. While many are asking for minimal improvements, Germany wants both Android and iOS devices to receive long-term support for seven years.

What Lawmakers Want

Today, most smartphones are noticeably less fortunate to last. Of course, Apple smartphones can usually count on five years of updates, and some even go beyond that. Android phones, meanwhile, typically get two years of non-permanent releases, though manufacturers like Google and Samsung try to provide regular releases within three years.

However, if Germany gets its way, software updates will take much longer to come out. As of today, the European Commission wants to require manufacturers to provide five years of support. But the German federal government is pushing for the European Union to impose a rule that smartphone manufacturers would provide security updates and replacement parts for smartphones for at least seven years after their release.

Manufacturers' response

Manufacturers are not going to give up. Gindustry advocacy group DigitalEurope, which includes Google, Apple and Samsung, among others, is pushing for lower requirements. These include limiting the requirement to upgrade software to three years and requiring only batteries and screens as spare parts.

The EU proposal for these requirements would take effect in 2023 and is designed to reduce the environmental impact of smartphones and other devices by ensuring that they have a longer lifetime.

Source: heise, 9to5google

Illustrations: Szabo Viktor