Samsung forced to change update schedule for Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy S20 FE models

Just a few days ago, we told you that Samsung reduced the frequency of its security updates for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 lines. Instead of monthly security patches, the Galaxy S20 5G, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, and Galaxy S20 FE (and the non-5G variants), will be updated quarterly. The Galaxy Note 20 5G, and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G (and the non 5G variants) also lost monthly support and it was announced that this line would receive security updates quarterly.

Also dropped down from monthly to quarterly updates were the Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. These changes were listed on Samsung's Mobile Security page under Software Updates as all of the aforementioned models were moved from the list of devices set to receive monthly security updates to their new location under the heading "Current Models for Quarterly Security Updates."

But it appears that Sammy was forced into changing its mind. Looking at the Security Updates section of the Samsung Mobile Security page today reveals that the Galaxy Note 20 5G, the Galaxy Note Ultra 5G (and the non-5G variants), and the Galaxy S20 FE 5G (and the non-5G variant) have been returned to the section titled "Current Models for Monthly Security Updates." 

The reason why this might have occurred is that the Galaxy Note 20 models and the Galaxy S20 FE handsets were launched in the second half of 2020 as opposed to the Galaxy S20 devices which hit the market during the first quarter of 2020. As a result, had Samsung moved the Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Galaxy Note 20 5G, Galaxy Note 5G Ultra 5G (and the non 5G variants) to quarterly updates, these phones would not have received the full four years of monthly security updates that Samsung had promised they would receive. However, by the time the fourth quarter rolls around, Samsung will have met its four-year obligation for these phones and could revert back to quarterly security updates.

None of the aforementioned models are eligible for Android updates which led to a brief confusion last year when a footnote in a Samsung support page led some Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 users to believe that they were somehow in line to receive the Android 14 update. Of course, it was all a mistake and Samsung pretty quickly cleared things up.