More than anything, because it will be from there that the clock will start to run against us. Because if, for example, we have bought a new phone, but it was released two years ago … We have to tell you that the updates your smartphone will receive They won’t be as many as you might have thought.
Even if it has been a long time since its departure, or since you bought the phone, such as two years or more, it is quite likely that your smartphone will stop receiving new versions for its software. If you have not stopped receiving them already. However, at this point you have to have one more extra as an addition, the range of the device. Depending on this, we can receive more or less. A phone that has cost about 200-300 euros will not be the same as one that reaches or exceeds 1,000 euros. Therefore, more ‘top’ range mobiles will always receive more updates than other lower ranges.
Check the update dates
Any user could also sense that their smartphone has stopped receive updates when at no time does it begin to receive the different notifications on the mobile informing that there is an update for the operating system available.
However, within the Android settings we can have access to more data about this, because, for example, we can see what is the latest firmware that we have obtained on the phone, which will give us some clue as to whether we have run out of updates already or not yet.
To see it, we must go to the terminal settings, enter the System section. Then we will have to look for the option called System updates. Upon entering this, we will see when was the last time we received some type of update, that is, we will see the exact date on which the terminal downloaded and installed a security patch. Also, if we go to the About phone section> Android version. Inside, we will also see the exact date of the security updates, as well as the Google Play system.
If, for example, it has been a few months since you received that security patch, it is likely that it was the last one for your smartphone. More than anything, because brands on Android usually update these patches monthly.
What each brand promises
Each manufacturer assures us a certain period in which they will give us official support for our mobile phone. That is, we will continue to count on both updates for software terminal as different security patches. Therefore, these are the different update policies for Android and iPhone mobiles:
- Google– Three years of Android updates and security patches.
- Samsung: The Korean company gives a support for the operating system of three years for the high and medium-high range. Two for the mid-range and only one for the rest. For security patches, it gives up to five years for business models and four years for all other smartphones.
- Xiaomi: In the case of Xiaomi things get a little more complicated, but here we leave it for you:
- Mi series: 2 Android and 4 MIUI updates.
- Mi Max / Mix / Note / T: 2 operating system and 4 MIUI updates.
- Mi A (Android One): Android 2.
- Redmi Note: 1 from Android and 3 from MIUI.
- Redmi: 1 update of Android and 2 of MIUI.
- Poco F and X: 2 Android updates and 4 MIUI updates.
- Little M: 1 from Android and 3 from MIUI.
- Poco C series: 1 Android and 2 MIUI updates.
- Realme– Realme phones receive at least one major Android update and security patches for two years. Although, some top of the range can receive up to two versions of software as happened with the Realme X2 Pro.
- OPPO– Chinese firm provides 2 years of major operating system updates with 3 years of security patches.
- Motorola: Most of the models, those that do not work with Android One, only have a big change of operating system and two years of security patches, but there are exceptions like the Motorola Edge + that will receive two big ones from Android.
- Nokia: the company promises two major operating system, as well as 3 years of security patches.
- Alive– Provides 2 years of major operating system updates for your phones with 3 years of security updates.
- Oneplus: for Android it offers three years for the high-end, two for the mid-range and only one for the entry-level. For its security patches, it gives four for the high-end, and three for the rest of the phones.
- Huawei: Android updates have been in limbo for terminals that still have the Google operating system. All of the brand’s phones are likely to keep updating on EMUI. However, Huawei has promised to upgrade a significant number of smartphones in its catalog to HarmonyOS.
- Sony– Offers two years of Android change and three years of security patches.
- LGAfter the closure of its smartphone division, the phone company has ensured that some of its smartphones will receive Android 11 and even Android 12, with the LG Wind and LG Velvet being the lucky ones to reach this version of Google’s operating system.
- Manzana: the smartphones of the American company enjoy several more years, since there are some models that have managed to have up to 7 years of updates.
Update a mobile without support
If, unfortunately, we have already officially run out of the support of the brand of our phone, we will only have the only option to resort to custom ROMs for Android. That is, leaving aside the official support and official ROMs, we will always have the possibility of install a custom ROM, although it will be on Android phones.
For example, in specialized forums we can find many and varied for each of the models on the market, which will allow us to enjoy the latest version of Android on the mobile.
To continue enjoying an updated version on a mobile without this possibility officially, we will have to go through a series of processes that are not simple. And, the truth is that there is no universal way that helps us to install a ROM on an Android mobile specific. But, what we can explain to you are the common steps that we will find when installing a custom ROM on our phone with Google’s operating system.
However, you should always remember that it will also depend on the instructions that the custom ROM that you are going to install gives you, in addition to the specific model in which you are going to install it:
- First, we will need to root the smartphone. And although we think it will be simple, root a phone It is complicated, so we will have to find the specific information for our mobile phone.
- Afterwards, we must unlock bootloader. In case you already have it, you will not need to do anything. If not, you should find it for your specific model, since the steps vary depending on the smartphone manufacturer. In some cases it will be easier and faster than in other terminals.
- Then, we will go to install a recovery mode, that is to say, a kind of emergency menu in which we can make or eliminate the adjustments in the system, before the new system is fully loaded. Android phones have their own, but to install a custom ROM the most normal thing will be to resort to software such as resorting to TWRP or similar. To access this, the most common is by holding the Volume Down + Power buttons for 5 seconds when the phone is off (although depending on your model it may vary).
- We must also have a ROM downloaded, which we must copy to the mobile. Then you have to download the file or files from the ROM, and save it in a folder on your mobile, but unzipped.
- Now is the time to install the custom from recovery mode. Within this, we must access the ‘Install’ menu> choose the option corresponding to ‘Install zip from storage / sdcard’. Inside the file explorer, find and select the ROM package that you previously downloaded. When the installation is finished, restart the mobile and wait for it to turn on.