Long-term support is a key issue for smartphones, especially as
What legislators want
Today, most smartphones are luckyhold out noticeably less. Of course, Apple smartphones can generally count on five years of updates, and some even go beyond that. Android phones, meanwhile, typically receive two years of inconsistent releases, although manufacturers like Google and Samsung try to provide regular releases over three years.
However, if Germany gets its way, thenSoftware updates will take much longer to come out. As of today, the European Commission wants to require five years of support from manufacturers. But Germany's federal government is pushing the European Union to introduce a rule that would require smartphone makers to provide security updates and spare parts for smartphones for at least seven years after their release.
Manufacturers' reaction
Manufacturers are not going to give up.Industry advocacy group DigitalEurope, which includes Google, Apple and Samsung among others, is pushing for the requirements to be reduced. These include limiting software update requirements to three years and requiring only batteries and screens to be supplied as spare parts.
The EU proposal on these requirements will come into forcein 2023 and aims to reduce the environmental impact of smartphones and other devices by ensuring these devices last longer.
Source: heise, 9to5google
Illustrations: Szabo Viktor
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