What's the update policy of smartphones and tablets?
The update policy according to Coolblue
The update policy includes our expectations on the number of software and security updates and how soon these are available for your device. Google (Android) and Apple (iOS) release a software update with big changes every year. This affects the look of the operating system, but also the speed and battery life of your phone. In addition, Google and Apple release a security update at least once a month. This way, you can patch up security breaches that cyber criminals can use to get into your device. Whether you actually receive these updates each month differs per device.
Why are software updates important?
Software updates include large changes for your device. For example, do you want to arrange your iPhone home screen the way you want? This is only possibe with iOS 18 or newer. In addition, software updates make your device faster and increase your battery life. Updates are also important for your privacy and security. You can hide sensitive apps with Android 15, so only you can access them. Your bank app for example. Google (Android) and Apple (iOS) release a new software update every year. It differs per device how long you'll keep receiving these updates and how soon you can install them after their release.
Why are security updates important?
Security updates protect your device from unwanted intruders. Hackers try to get into your device to look for data or your online banking password. Normally, the operating system of your smartphone or tablet prevents this, but hackers sometimes find a way in. In order to patch up these breaches, Google and Apple release an update at least once a month. It differs per device how long and how soon after release you can install these updates. The longer and sooner you receive updates, the more secure your device is and stays during use.
How do we rate the update policy?
We've gathered all information about the expected number of updates and how soon you'll receive them for each device. We've combined this with historical data from comparable models. For example, we've based our expectations for the Samsung S24 on the update policy of the S21, S22, and S23. That way, we've tried to make our estimate as accurate as possible. It's still an estimation, since we can't see the future. We update this information every month, so it's always up to date.
