Four affordable Samsung Galaxy smartphones have reached end of support – with no more updates

With the details of the March security update, we now have a list of the newly added Samsung Galaxy smartphones that will not receive software support. Unfortunately, all the new devices that made it to the list are affordable smartphones. And although they are quite old, there are a large number of users who still use them.

Wondering what these devices are? These are the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite, S10 Lite, A02 and A71. All these phones have passed their schedule to receive OS and feature updates. They only received security updates that dropped every now and then. But with the release of the March security update, they are outside the list of supported devices. This means that they will not receive any form of software support from now on.

What are the risks of using a Samsung Galaxy phone without software support?

Using a Galaxy phone without official software support may seem like a viable option. If you only use your phone for basic tasks, it doesn’t matter if it gets updates or not, right? The case is not so simple. There are several significant risks. For example:

Security vulnerabilities

Software updates often include fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities may be in the operating system and installed applications. Without updates, your phone becomes exposed to known exploits. Hackers can use the vulnerabilities to steal your data, install malware, or take control of your device.

Outdated security features on your Samsung Galaxy phone

Smartphone manufacturers are constantly developing new security features to deal with evolving threats. Without updates, you miss out on these improvements. As a result, your Galaxy phone will be more vulnerable to attacks.

Limited app compatibility

As applications evolve, they may need newer versions of the operating system. Some may even require new libraries to function. Without updates, you may encounter compatibility issues while trying to install apps on your Samsung Galaxy phones. This may make certain applications unusable or not work properly.

Limited functionality of newer features

New features introduced in newer versions of the operating system may not be available on unsupported Samsung Galaxy devices. This will limit its functionality and user experience.

No software optimization

Updates often include optimizations. They improve the performance and battery life of your phone. Without these updates, your Samsung Galaxy phone may run slower. You may also experience reduced battery life and sluggishness.

But you have the option to install a custom Android ROM on most of these Samsung Galaxy devices

Although Samsung has officially ended support for the four Galaxy phones mentioned, custom OS still remains a valid option. Consider the Galaxy S10 Lite, for example. These two were very popular which made them get decent support from the third party community.

For example, you can install the famous custom ROM LineageOS which will bring more features and better user interface. But of course, given how old these Samsung Galaxy phones are, community support may end pretty soon as well. If this happens, your only chance to enjoy a secure software experience is to upgrade.

Another thing to note is that a custom Android ROM is not easy to install. You need to unlock the bootloader of the smartphone, install a custom recovery and flash a compatible ROM. All this requires a little knowledge. A wrong move can damage your Samsung Galaxy phone and make it unusable. So it is better for most to avoid going through this route.

Looking for good resources where you can find information and guides for installing a custom ROM? I would recommend XDA Forums. Android Central Forum is also another good place to get help with them.