Phone Support Ending 2024 – MobilMania.cz

The year 2026 is a turning point for many users, among other reasons, due to the fact that software support for many phones will end next year. This is important information mainly for phone owners from 2021 to 2022who purchased devices at a time when their software support was just beginning to be extended. While five-year software support is required in the EU today, a few years ago it was only at the will of individual manufacturers. Apple has always been far ahead with support, then Samsung, Google joined it, and these brands have also swept other manufacturers.

Today, phone support is up to seven or eight years old. But the cycle is catching up with phones that weren’t doing so well a few years ago. Support for a number of well-known and popular models will thus end in 2026

When you buy a new smartphone, you don’t even think about the fact that you are with the phone you also buy software support. You can look at this from two different points of view. The first is the new versions of the operating system, which bring new functions and reach even older models, not just the latest ones.

The second (far more important) item is security updates to ensure that your phone is not too vulnerable to threats that might target it. However, malware developers are targeting phones that haven’t been updated in a long time because they don’t have the latest protections. And many phones won’t get those in the next year.

What exactly does end of support mean?

In 2026, a number of phones will have that they will stop receiving updates. We can divide them into system updates (Android and iOS), or to updates of the environment that is linked to the system. However, you will only lose support completely when the manufacturers stop supplying the phone with security patches. For some brands and phones, first system updates will stop, and after some time you will stop receiving software patches.

Losing support means you’ll never see the same screen on mobile again

The most critical is precisely the loss of regular (monthly, quarterly or half-yearly) security patches. When various critical bugs and major vulnerabilities appear, the manufacturer will no longer send any update to the phone. The exception is sometimes Apple, which also thinks about users of very old iPhones, but don’t expect similar leniency with Androids. Rather, it is rare for manufacturers to update a phone that has already lost software support over time. In theory, it also depends on how important this model is and how many pieces are still in circulation.

In the final, the phones listed below will arrive during the next year latest update and that’s the end of it. The phone will not show you any warning, but at the same time, no one will guarantee you that an update will ever land on it again.

End of support phones

The most vulnerable category of phone users whose support ends are owners of low-end or mid-range phones that have sold millions of units. This is the case, for example, with phones from the Redmi or Poco brands. In addition, support for older iPhones, Pixels, as well as Samsung and Xiaomi phones is also ending. The list of phones below is not complete, but includes the most important devices that will lose software support in 2026.

U Xiaomi the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro phones will lose updates. These are phones built on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which will receive updates until the 1st quarter of 2026 at the latest. Support for the Xiaomi 12X and Xiaomi 12 Lite will run until March 2026. The Xiaomi 12T series will be supported until October 2026.

The Redmi Note 12 series will also lose support next year

End of support for phones Redmi will affect millions of users worldwide. Redmi Note 12 5G and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ will stop receiving support in October 2026. The basic Redmi Note 12 will lose support already in March 2026.

Mark Bitwhich has a decent performance/price ratio, will write off affordable phones next year. The Poco F5 will stop receiving security updates in May 2026. But before that, support for the Poco X5 and Poco X5 Pro will end, specifically in the first quarter of next year.

Older Pixels have five years of software support from when they were launched in the US (see chart). Next year, support will end for three phones, but only in the second half of the year

U Google next year software support will end for the Pixel 5a (August) as well as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro (October). AT Apple it is expected that the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max models, which will be seven years old next September, will not receive the update to iOS 27. Apple may surprise and extend the support for all models by another year, but there is at least a question mark hanging over the trio of these phones.

U Samsung again, we can expect that the entire Galaxy S21 series (including the S21 FE model) will lose updates, specifically in January. Support for the foldable Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 will end in August. Some low- and mid-range models, such as the Galaxy A13 and Galaxy A23 (both March), will also lose updates.

2023 Xperias will lose security patches in May, June and August

U Motoroly end of support for models with a triple at the end. Moto G13, Moto G23, Moto G53 and Moto G73 will lose support in January next year. A similar situation will be repeated with the Moto G04. AT Nokia again, support for the Nokia X30 will end in January, then for the Nokia G22 in April. The Nokia G42 will be released in June. Sony in turn, it will send Xperia 1 V (May), Xperia 10 V (June) and Xperia 5 V (August) to “eternal hunting grounds” next year.

Can the phones continue to be used?

Yes, you can still use them. Just because a phone is out of support doesn’t mean you should throw it away and run for a new one right away, but it’s a strong indicator that you have an older phone that would may have had security issues over time. An unpatched phone is easier prey for hackers when they attack it through a spoofed website or app that hides malware.

With the end of support, nothing changes with the phone, you practically don’t know it at all – you will still be able to make calls, write messages, take photos, run applications or browse websites with it. System and pre-installed app updates will still be available, as will all other phone features.

The security of iOS and Android systems is directly linked to regular updates. When phones stop receiving them, they can be at risk over time

On the other hand, you can no longer rely on its security barriers to be as robust as phones that receive regular updates. This should be a clear signal to you that sooner or later you will need to switch to a new phone. That is, assuming that phone security is a priority for you. Considering how much sensitive data we store in them and what services we access from them (e-mail, banking, etc.), we should also think about the security of the phone as such.

However, if you only use the unsupported phone as a backup device for calling and taking photos or as a multimedia center, it can easily serve for a few more years, even without your primary Google and Apple accounts. Of course with some limitations.

What to avoid

Even though there is a risk of hacking the phone without support relatively smallit depends on what impact it would have on you as a user. Do you access online banking from it? Do you have any files or photos in it that you don’t want to lose? Do you have usernames and passwords stored in it in a commonly readable format, for example in notes? If someone hacked access to your email, would it be a big deal to you?

The universal advice is that you should rather stick to the ground with a phone without software support and they reduced risky behavior (eg visiting certain types of websites). Install applications only from official stores. At least with Androids, there is a good chance that over time you will introduce malware to your phone from installers from the Internet (or from social networks) that will bypass the insufficient protection of the phone. And you definitely don’t want someone looking at your phone like you may have seen in some media-famous cases. In addition, support for many phones does not end on January 1st, so you have several months to deal with this information in your own way.

And if you’re not already backing up regularly, maybe you should start slowly so you don’t get unpleasant surprises over time. The software side is one thing, but you have to think about the hardware as well. When your old phone’s battery or some other component dies, you probably won’t invest thousands of crowns in its repairs just to save your old photos.