Do you upgrade when Android phone security updates stop?

[YB88]

For me, the security update issue is just part of typically multiple things that cause me to get a new phone. I used to have an S8 too, and I think an S5 before that --- one of those was the last phone I owned with removable batteries, so getting a new phone today means resetting the clock on that too.



A factor that led me to get an S21 (all of these are Samsung models, just to be clear) was the characteristics of mid-band 5G on my T-Mobile account. I've found situations where I was getting connected, or connected faster (internet) than with 4G. For example, at a recent trip to the coast, my wife and I could text back and forth instantly, whereas my daughter with a 4G phone on T-Mobile was seeing very long delays before the texts were delivered. That sort of thing.



The better camera (with two lenses) has been useful, because these days a cell phone camera is almost always the only one I use --- and I have young grandchildren. And in the past I've run into memory issues, which I don't anymore at all with the S21. I think there were other reasons, those are just off the top of my head.
Well, that and T-Mobile made it very cheap to upgrade.

I've become somewhat of a Samsung fanboy I guess (in the android device arena anyway), in part due to the additional year or so of security updates over competitors that has already been mentioned. But I really like their android tablet too, and I find that having both their phone and tablet, things work together pretty well. I particularly like using Samsung's version of quick file transfer between devices to shoot photos from my phone to my tablet, so that my wife and I can look at images on a bigger screen when we're away from home, or I can aggregate my wife's and my photos on a single device that way.

As to how people regard their phones w.r.t. security and what they do and do not have on them, I'm inclined to agree that your phone likely has somewhat troubling access to your life almost no matter how careful you are, and hence my preferred path is to pay some attention to security. I.e., require a password or equivalent to access, use a password manager (also password or fingerprint or whatever protected), use a VPN when travelling, make sure apps update promptly, install OS security or version upgrades as soon as they're available, and run security software. The aggregate of these impose a pretty light cognitive load on me after they become habit.



In that context, I pay for things using my phone (actually, with my Samsung connected watch ...), access bank accounts on the phone, etc. The one thing I don't do is connect to the brokerage where most of my assets are. Password/etc information for that aren't on the phone or tablet or in password manager. If someone breaks into my bank account, the contents aren't a large percentage of total net worth.

Each to their own; interesting to see folks share their takes on this and specific approaches.

[GTFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cricky I don’t have a particularly informed opinion on the additional risk (though I always upgrade before my phone stops getting security updates), I just want to suggest that 2 new flagship phones isn’t your only option. If you’re happy with the performance of a 3 year old phone then the flagship might be wasted on you anyway. Instead, even at list price, 2 Pixel 5As (for example) would be half that and still give you a performance/feature update along with a few years of Android and security updates.

Agreed, paying $1k for a flagship phone these days is silly IMO. Any 1-2 year old former flagship is easily 50% or more less than MSRP and there's not enough difference to matter now. I just retired my Samsung Note8 and bought an S10 Lite from a seller on swappa.com - paid something like $250 for it and it was a $600 phone a year and a half ago. Great upgrade for me - has a huge OLED screen, two or more days of battery life and more RAM/storage than I need. Plenty fast enough too, runs Android 11 gets all the updates etc. Disabled all the Samsung, Facebook etc. cruft and it runs great.

There's no need to stay on the latest and greatest phone treadmill.

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTFan Agreed, paying $1k for a flagship phone these days is silly IMO. Any 1-year old former flagship is easily 50% or more less than MSRP and there's not enough difference to matter now. I just retired my Samsung Note8 and bought an S10 Lite from a seller on swappa.com - paid something like $250 for it and it was a $600 phone a year and a half ago. Great upgrade for me.

I'm still licking my wounds for having to fork over $40 for a refurbished cheapo phone .

[OmegaDog]

Still using my Galaxy S5. Works fine. I won't upgrade until I can't use my old phone.

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YB88 Each to their own; interesting to see folks share their takes on this and specific approaches.

A monthly payment on a phone
We just bought our most expensive phone ever this summer at a flea market.

We paid $65 for it but it was missing the microphone disc in the handset so we had to spend another $10 at an antique shop for a 'parts phone' to make it functional. Our first two rotary phones cost us $12 apiece. They were both black. One's mounted on the wall in the kitchen and the other's on the nightstand in the bedroom. We also paid $24 for a cool red rotary phone we keep on the desk in the office.

We might move the black one from the bedroom to the spare bedroom so we can use the turquoise one in the main bedroom.

At least we don't have to worry about security updates as most of them are 50+ years old and still work just fine.

[CyclingInvestor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldShooter Regardless of security updates, I assume that my phone will be lost or stolen at some point -- hence vulnerable. So there is s little as possible on the phone that creates any risk for me. No banking or financial apps or information, no brokerage info. Not even the names or phone numbers of the banks and brokers. There is credit card information buried in there somewhere in order to buy apps; AFIK that is my only point of possible compromise and the card protections apply. The contact list on my phone is strictly limited to a necessary few and it is cleaned periodically to remove names that I no longer need. My calendar is vulnerable in some sense,but really contains almost no critical information. Vendor security is fine, but I don't count on it for much.

+1. I keep phones til I crack the screen, so I am only on my 3rd - a Blackberry, an S2, now an S9+.

[FIREarly]

Yes, this happened to me with a Google Pixel 2XL DW gave me so she can get a new phone. We didn't n ow about the end of life for it.

Either way, yes, if you login to virtually anything, and we all do, security settings are updated to prevent hacks that are discovered among many other things.

For your own sake, it's a good idea and your choice.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmchairMillionaire23 A monthly payment on a phone ... ...

Back when those were common, the only way you could have them was by way of a monthly payment. And it never ended. Ma Bell owned it, you rented it.

And don't you dare buy one on the black market and hook it up as an extension - Ma Bell will detect the increased ringer current and force you to disconnect it - you'll need to pay the fee for an extension. I think people disconnected the ringer on the second phone to circumvent Ma Bell's snooping.

-ERD50

[RobbieB]

I just got a Google Pixel 4A. Because my Pixel only did 3G. AT&T dropped 3G, Pixel no work no more.

When your phone doesn't work anymore, time for a new phone.

[Out-to-Lunch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Back when those were common, the only way you could have them was by way of a monthly payment. And it never ended. Ma Bell owned it, you rented it.

Unless your father worked for Ma Bell and he stole it! (Or so I have heard.... )

[brett]

My phone is significantly more mobile than by desktop. I believe the opportunity for theft or misplacement is much higher for the phone than it is for my desktop.

I only do phone and the odd text, same with DW. We buy new phones that have been released for a while, often just, or before the new impoved model is released. And after we have seen reviews from those who have been using the phone.

[Qs Laptop]

Google will give the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones FIVE years of security updates.