How to know how many updates a mobile has left

Therefore, if you are here it is because you want to know how many years your mobile has left to live . In a certain way of course, since if we take good care of it it can last us longer than we think. Although, it will be without software updates, so we could be left without enjoying the different advantages and features that companies are adding to their operating systems.

How old are you?

One of the first points that we should pay attention to will be how long it has been since it was launched on the smartphone market. Since no matter how new it is for you, the important thing will be in which year the brand decided to officially present it to the public.

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 that your smartphone will receive will not 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, for example, 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

Every user could also intuit that their smartphone has stopped receiving 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 most recent firmware that we have obtained on the phone, which will give us some clue as to whether we have stayed no 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> Android version section . 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 Android brands 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 have both updates for the terminal software and 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 bit 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 – The 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.
• Live – Provides 2 years of major operating system updates for your phones with 3 years of security updates.
• OnePlus : for Android 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 Google’s 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.
• LG : after 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 .
• Apple : 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 our phone brand, 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 installing 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 a specific Android mobile. 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:

1. First of all, we will need to root the smartphone. And although we think it will be simple, rooting a phone is complicated, so we must find the specific information for our mobile phone.
2. Afterwards, we must unlock the 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.
3. Then, we will install a recovery mode , that is, 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 TWRP or similar. To access this, the most common is to hold the Volume Down + Power buttons for 5 seconds when the phone is off (although depending on your model it may vary).
4. 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.
5. Now is the time to install the custom from the 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.