Samsung made some buzz in September 2020 when it unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 2 — a foldable telephone that costs a cool $2,000. This telephone was not just a device, it was a conveyance of how it’s lifestyle. unpacking a foldable 7.6-inch OLED display screen, a dizzying powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor and, of course, that alluring design that would leave anyone who came across it breathing heavily . Fast forward four years, and the Korean Giant has halted software and security support for the said device.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2: A Quick Flashback
Samsung clearly declared its intentions, loud and clear, when it released the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to the market. Picking up from a few durability problems with its original foldable phone, the Z Fold 1, it wasn’t until the release of the Fold 2. And boy, did it impress! However, for Fold and Fold 2, the RAM was increased from 8GB to 12GB, storage was 256 GB, and the battery was boosted to an enormous 4500 m Ah. The highlight was a folding screen: an 8.0 inches OLED panel with an absolutely brilliant 120 Hz refresh rate.
Samsung even added an under-display camera and increased the outer screen size compared to the Fold 1, which has only 4.6-inches of screen size. It appeared as though Samsung had equipped itself with this lesson and sought to make the users have a worthy, durable feel.
The End of Updates: What’s the Deal?
But now, and I can’t stress this enough, Samsung has officially cut the software and security updates to the Z Fold 2. While the good folks over at Sam Mobile were quick to notice that the Z Fold 2 has been removed from the company’s stable update list. The last Android OS update was done in the previous year while the latest One UI update was initiated by the end of the year 2023.
Samsung’s Update Policy: The Good and the Bad
Previously in 2022, Samsung said that certain Galaxy devices would get up to four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. In 2024 Samsung went further and increase that guarantee to seven years for new ideas as Google did. However, the Z Fold 2 was not among the list of these “select” devices to experience the benefit of that innovation.
To those counting, this meant that the Z Fold 2 was slotted to stop receiving updates by 2024—only four years from the time of its launch. Now, let’s put things into perspective Apple is still supporting this iPhones which where released 2018. Apple has not forgotten the iPhone XR, which was launched to the market two years before the Fold 2.
Why can not Samsung keep updating the Fold 2?
But for bias, it is imperative to know why Samsung can’t carry the fold 2. While Apple designs its chips inhouse, Samsung depends on third party chip designers such as Qualcomm. And historically, Qualcomm has not been very keen on to elongate the life cycle of their chips. What that means is that Samsung is faced with more pieces of the puzzle in relation to the support of the devices over the long-term. Of course, Samsung’s decision to provide seven years of updates is progress, but for those who shelled out big bucks for the Z Fold 2, it’s quite irritating.
Well then, for Fold 2 owners, what’s next?
So, if you have got your hands on one of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which is a good sign, you have several options. Yes, but you’ll have to take a lot of care to avoid security threats to other parts of your digital life. Or you can buy one of the newer Samsung foldable smartphones, like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 that was released in July for somewhat less – $1900.
If you are little upset with given turn of events then it is better to shift to other company which can provide long-term support such as apple is famous for.
Final Thoughts
Collectively, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was a pioneer. It stretched the improvement of a smartphone to all those and introduced us to the future. But now that update support has come to a halt, it’s like looking at an old race car that has been set out to pasture. It used to work and was good at the time but it’s time for a change. If you’re still using your Fold 2, make sure to watch out for your safety, and enjoy that stunning folding display as long as you can!
