The government of the Germany is considering extend the life of smartphones, asking manufacturers to release security patches for a period of at least seven years. This could allow smartphones to be kept safe for a much longer period than the current one, usually around three years.
Germany wants to extend the life of smartphones with seven years of security patches
Some “digital rights” activist organizations are now asking the European Union to require smartphone manufacturers to maintain a minimum of three years of security updates. A standard that many manufacturers already adhere to. Apple has always done this (even with a few more years), Samsung, Google, Nokia, Motorola and even OnePlus have started doing it across the board of their devices. The European Union is also considering extending security patches to five years. But the German federal government’s proposal is unprecedented.
Forgotten smartphone on a park bench.
Extending security updates to seven years does not mean that anyone who buys an Android smartphone today can hope to see Android 18 on your smartphone. Companies would keep operating system updates for three years. But they would be required to provide security updates on a fixed basis. No software news but changes to make sure there are no vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
Currently, seven years of security updates are more or less standard for the computer world. However, that would be unheard of for the mobile world. However, with the election in Germany now in sight, many commentators are skeptical of the actual chances of this legislation being successful.
The good news, however, is that, even if Germany does not continue with the legislation, the possibility that the European Union can enact five-year update by 2023 there is. It would be a good way not to give up safety in favor of environmentalism. Taking full advantage of your smartphones in fact reduces the waste of resources and extending the life of electronic devices is an important goal of the green economy.