From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Chris wrote:

The instant a major release ships, Apple throws full support away.

False.

Read this before you deny Apple's own documented policy on full support. <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:

Chris wrote:

The instant a major release ships, Apple throws full support away.

False.

Read this before you deny Apple's own documented policy on full support. <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/

I deny nothing. I simply quote the full policy and not narrowly quote it to satisfy my dogma.

Comment on this before making any more claims about "cliff edge" support. https://imgshare.cc/a08v04ce

You always deny empirical fact and prefer other people's opinions.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:

Chris wrote:

The instant a major release ships, Apple throws full support away.

False.

Read this before you deny Apple's own documented policy on full support. <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/

Exactly, which is why you've gone after a red herring.

Apple only fully support the latest version of iOS. Therefore, if an iPhone
is running the latest iOS, it's fully patched.

Anything after that is merely a courtesy to folks who really should buy a
new phone, to reduce the harm they're exposed to until they get a
replacement. It's not full patching, but it's better than nothing.

But forget about that, just focus on which phones get the latest iOS. That information is well documented, and it's typically 5-7 years after
the phone was released until it was dropped. There is a long history of
that going back to older iPhone models, eg:

5: released 21 Sep 2012, last iOS=10, iOS 11 released 19 Sep 2017; 5 years
5S: released 20 Sep 2013, last iOS=12, iOS 13 released 19 Sep 2019; 6 years
6: released 25 Sep 2014, last iOS=12, iOS 13 released 19 Sep 2019; 5 years
6S: released 25 Sep 2015, last iOS=15, iOS 16 released 12 Sep 2022; 7 years
7: released 16 Sep 2016, last iOS=15, iOS 16 released 12 Sep 2022; 6 years
8: released 22 Sep 2017, last iOS=16, iOS 17 released 18 Sep 2023; 6 years
XS: released 21 Sep 2018, last iOS=18, iOS 26 released 15 Sep 2025; 7 years
11: released 20 Sep 2019, last iOS=26, still in support; 7+ years

In terms of actual shipped phones, 6+ years is pretty hard to beat in
Android world. I can't think of any phone which actually got 6 years of monthly security releases, let alone Android updates.

There are recent promises of course, but we'll have to wait another few
years to see if they come true.

If you disagree, *show us the data*. Which iPhones stopped getting iOS
updates in less than 5 years?

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Chris wrote:

You always deny empirical fact and prefer other people's opinions.

Hi Chris,

On an Apple newsgroup, denying all facts works but not here, on Android.

*All of us have discussed the empirical facts in this very thread*

Which of those empirical facts are you claiming don't exist in this thread?
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Theo wrote:

Apple only fully support the latest version of iOS. Therefore, if an iPhone is running the latest iOS, it's fully patched.

Hi Theo,

I never disagree with any logically sensible statement of fact.

Nobody on the Android newsgroup has disagreed that Apple only fully patches only the latest release; it's only on the Apple newsgroup they disagree.

Anything after that is merely a courtesy to folks who really should buy a
new phone, to reduce the harm they're exposed to until they get a replacement. It's not full patching, but it's better than nothing.

Again, nobody disagrees. I heartily agree with you on this statement also.
Any patch after end of full support, is, in a word, a "courtesy" patch.

Much like the courtesy support of 17-1/2 years was for Windows XP:
a. Windows XP release date is on or about October 25, 2001
b. Microsoft released the (BlueKeep) KB4500331 on May 14, 2019
c. That's 17 years, 6 months and 19 days of "support".

But forget about that, just focus on which phones get the latest iOS. That information is well documented, and it's typically 5-7 years after
the phone was released until it was dropped.

For some strange reason, most people believe the (admittedly brilliant) propaganda, but we already proved, beyond any doubt, what the average is.

We have a dedicated thread, one for each iPhone ever sold.
a. Longest full iOS support: 6.99 years (iPhone XS / XS Max)
b. Shortest full iOS support: 2.37 years (iPhone 3G)
c. Average full iOS support: 5.10 years (over 20 models)

There is a long history of
that going back to older iPhone models, eg:

5: released 21 Sep 2012, last iOS=10, iOS 11 released 19 Sep 2017; 5 years 5S: released 20 Sep 2013, last iOS=12, iOS 13 released 19 Sep 2019; 6 years 6: released 25 Sep 2014, last iOS=12, iOS 13 released 19 Sep 2019; 5 years 6S: released 25 Sep 2015, last iOS=15, iOS 16 released 12 Sep 2022; 7 years 7: released 16 Sep 2016, last iOS=15, iOS 16 released 12 Sep 2022; 6 years
8: released 22 Sep 2017, last iOS=16, iOS 17 released 18 Sep 2023; 6 years XS: released 21 Sep 2018, last iOS=18, iOS 26 released 15 Sep 2025; 7 years 11: released 20 Sep 2019, last iOS=26, still in support; 7+ years

Your numbers are dead wrong, but you don't say how you derived them.
So, like all marketing propaganda, you can come up with any value you want.

We have the correct numbers in the Apple newsgroup for each iPhone sold.
a. Longest full iOS support: 6.99 years (iPhone XS / XS Max)
b. Shortest full iOS support: 2.37 years (iPhone 3G)
c. Average full iOS support: 5.10 years (over 20 models)

In terms of actual shipped phones, 6+ years is pretty hard to beat in
Android world. I can't think of any phone which actually got 6 years of monthly security releases, let alone Android updates.

First off, it's not 6+ on average, it's 5 years, on average, but even so,
my free Galaxy A32-5G was only fully supported for 4 years, so the iPhone average is a full year longer than that of my el-cheapo free Android.

Bear in mind, I don't defend any mothership to the death, no matter what.
I simply state the facts.

And the facts are:
a. Longest full iOS support: 6.99 years (iPhone XS / XS Max)
b. Shortest full iOS support: 2.37 years (iPhone 3G)
c. Average full iOS support: 5.10 years (over 20 models)

Note that Chris cherry picks models to arrive at a longer average.
And, as long as he defines what he cherry picked, I'm fine with that.

It's how averages work.

There are recent promises of course, but we'll have to wait another few
years to see if they come true.

If you disagree, *show us the data*. Which iPhones stopped getting iOS updates in less than 5 years?

Jesus Christ, Theo. Stop it with that bullshit. Just stop it.
I provided "the data" in excruciating detail on the Apple newsgroups.

Stop being ignorant, Theo. Just stop it. Cut the crap. Be a man.
I invested two full days in providing the data to the Apple ng, Theo.

You "invested" two seconds in declaring all the data in the world is meaningless to you because you only believe in marketing propaganda.

Be a man Theo.
Apologize for saying what you just said.

The data I provided is more detailed than anything you'll ever find on th Internet, so cut the crap when you make childish claims out of ignorance.

Look it up first.
Then apologize if you're a man.

a. Longest full macOS software support was 2.49 years (OS X 10.4 Tiger)
b. Shortest full macOS software support was 0.51 years (OS X 10.0 Cheetah)
c. Average full macOS software support was 1.18 years (20 versions)
d. Typical full macOS software support was ~1.0-1.5 years

Verbatim:
1. iPhone OS 1 was released on June 29, 2007
2. The last known security update was iPhone OS 1.1.5 on July 15, 2008
3. That is 382 days, or 1.05 years of security updates after release

1. iPhone OS 2 was released on July 11, 2008
2. The last known security update was iPhone OS 2.2.1 on January 27, 2009
3. That is 200 days, or 0.55 years of security updates after release

1. iPhone OS 3 was released on June 17, 2009
2. The last known security update was iPhone OS 3.2.2 on August 11, 2010
3. That is 420 days, or 1.15 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 4 was released on June 21, 2010
2. The last known security update was iOS 4.3.5 released on July 25, 2011
3. That is 399 days, or 1.09 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 5 was released on October 12, 2011
2. The last known security update was iOS 5.1.1 released on May 7, 2012
3. That is 208 days, or 0.57 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 6 was released on September 19, 2012
2. The last known security update was iOS 6.1.6 on February 21, 2014
3. That is 520 days, or 1.42 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 7 was released on September 18, 2013
2. The last known security update was iOS 7.1.2 released on June 30, 2014
3. That is 285 days, or 0.78 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 8 was released on September 17, 2014
2. The last known security update was iOS 8.4.1 released on August 13, 2015
3. That is 330 days, or 0.90 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 9 was released on September 16, 2015
2. The last known security update was iOS 9.3.6 released on July 22, 2019
3. That is 1,406 days, or 3.85 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 10 was released on September 13, 2016
2. The last known security update was iOS 10.3.4 released on July 22, 2019
3. That is 1,042 days, or 2.85 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 11 was released on September 19, 2017
2. The last known security update was iOS 11.4.1 released on July 9, 2018
3. That is 293 days, or 0.80 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 12 was released on September 17, 2018
2. The last known security update was iOS 12.5.7 on January 23, 2023
3. That is 1,589 days, or 4.35 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 13 was released on September 19, 2019
2. The last known security update was iOS 13.7 on September 1, 2020
3. That is 348 days, or 0.95 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 14 was released on September 16, 2020
2. The last known security update was iOS 14.8.1 on October 26, 2021
3. That is 405 days, or 1.11 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 15 was released on September 20, 2021
2. The last known security update was iOS 15.8.2 on January 22, 2024
3. That is 854 days, or 2.34 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 16 was released on September 12, 2022
2. The last known security update was iOS 16.7.10 on January 22, 2024
3. That is 497 days, or 1.36 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 17 was released on September 18, 2023
2. The last known security update was iOS 17.4.1 on March 21, 2024
3. That is 185 days, or 0.51 years of security updates after release

1. iOS 18 was released on September 16, 2024
2. The last known security update was iOS 18.3 on February 12, 2025
3. That is 149 days, or 0.41 years of security updates after release

For macOS, as far as I can tell, here's the data (please doublecheck).

1. Mac OS X 10.0 (Cheetah) was released on March 24, 2001
2. The last security update was Security Update 2002-07-12 on July 12, 2002
3. That is 475 days, or 1.30 years of security updates after release

1. Mac OS X 10.1 (Puma) was released on September 25, 2001
2. The last security update was Security Update 2003-06-09 on June 9, 2003
3. That is 622 days, or 1.70 years of security updates after release

1. Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) was released on August 23, 2002
2. The last security update was Security Update 2004-05-24 on May 24, 2004
3. That is 640 days, or 1.75 years of security updates after release

1. Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) was released on October 24, 2003
2. The last security update was Security Update 2007-004 on April 19, 2007
3. That is 1,273 days, or 3.49 years of security updates after release

1. Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) was released on April 29, 2005
2. The last security update was Security Update 2009-005 on Sept 10, 2009
3. That is 1,596 days, or 4.37 years of security updates after release

1. Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) was released on October 26, 2007
2. The last security update was Security Update 2011-006 on Nov 9, 2011
3. That is 1,475 days, or 4.04 years of security updates after release

1. Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) was released on August 28, 2009
2. The last security update was Security Update 2013-004 on Sept 12, 2013
3. That is 1,477 days, or 4.04 years of security updates after release

1. OS X 10.7 (Lion) was released on July 20, 2011
2. The last security update was Security Update 2014-004 on Aug 13, 2014
3. That is 1,120 days, or 3.07 years of security updates after release

1. OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) was released on July 25, 2012
2. The last security update was Security Update 2015-006 on August 13, 2015
3. That is 1,114 days, or 3.05 years of security updates after release

1. OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) was released on October 22, 2013
2. The last security update was Security Update 2016-003 on July 18, 2016
3. That is 1,000 days, or 2.74 years of security updates after release

1. OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) was released on October 16, 2014
2. The last security update was Security Update 2017-005 on July 19, 2017
3. That is 1,007 days, or 2.76 years of security updates after release

1. OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) was released on September 30, 2015
2. The last security update was Security Update 2018-003 on July 9, 2018
3. That is 1,013 days, or 2.77 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 10.12 (Sierra) was released on September 20, 2016
2. The last security update was Security Update 2019-004 on July 22, 2019
3. That is 1,035 days, or 2.83 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) was released on September 25, 2017
2. The last security update was Security Update 2020-006 on Sept 24, 2020
3. That is 1,095 days, or 3.00 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 10.14 (Mojave) was released on September 24, 2018
2. The last security update was Security Update 2021-005 on July 21, 2021
3. That is 1,031 days, or 2.82 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 10.15 (Catalina) was released on October 7, 2019
2. The last security update was Security Update 2022-005 on July 20, 2022
3. That is 1,017 days, or 2.79 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 11 (Big Sur) was released on November 12, 2020
2. The last security update was Security Update 2023-005 on Sept 11, 2023
3. That is 1,034 days, or 2.83 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 12 (Monterey) was released on October 25, 2021
2. The last security update was Security Update 2024-002 on Jan 22, 2024
3. That is 820 days, or 2.25 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 13 (Ventura) was released on October 24, 2022
2. The last security update was macOS Ventura 13.6.6 on March 25, 2024
3. That is 518 days, or 1.42 years of security updates after release

1. macOS 14 (Sonoma) was released on September 26, 2023
2. The last security update was macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 on March 21, 2024
3. That is 177 days, or 0.49 years of security updates after release

If those numbers are correct, then we can make an educated assessment:

LONGEST:
A. The longest iOS support (but that's not FULL support) = 4.35 years
B. The longest macOS support (but not FULL support) = 4.37 years

SHORTEST:
A. The shortest iOS support (but that's not FULL support) = 0.55 years
B. The shortest macOS support (but not FULL support) = 1.30 years

AVERAGE:
A. The average iOS support (but that's not FULL support)
Sum = 25.52 years (for completed versions)
Count = 16 versions (have completed)
Average = 26.14 / 18 = 1.59 years
B. The average macOS support (but that's not FULL support)
Sum = 53.17 years
Count = 19
Average = 2.80 years

Note that this FACT is likely far shorter than most people think it is.
--
All I care about are the facts. I don't care for propaganda.
Hence, I defend no mothership to the death - I treat them all equally.

--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:

Chris wrote:

You always deny empirical fact and prefer other people's opinions.

Hi Chris,

On an Apple newsgroup, denying all facts works but not here, on Android.

*All of us have discussed the empirical facts in this very thread*

Which of those empirical facts are you claiming don't exist in this thread?

Comment on this before making any more claims about "cliff edge" support. https://imgshare.cc/a08v04ce


--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:

Theo wrote:

There is a long history of
that going back to older iPhone models, eg:

5: released 21 Sep 2012, last iOS=10, iOS 11 released 19 Sep 2017; 5 years 5S: released 20 Sep 2013, last iOS=12, iOS 13 released 19 Sep 2019; 6 years 6: released 25 Sep 2014, last iOS=12, iOS 13 released 19 Sep 2019; 5 years 6S: released 25 Sep 2015, last iOS=15, iOS 16 released 12 Sep 2022; 7 years 7: released 16 Sep 2016, last iOS=15, iOS 16 released 12 Sep 2022; 6 years 8: released 22 Sep 2017, last iOS=16, iOS 17 released 18 Sep 2023; 6 years XS: released 21 Sep 2018, last iOS=18, iOS 26 released 15 Sep 2025; 7 years 11: released 20 Sep 2019, last iOS=26, still in support; 7+ years

Your numbers are dead wrong, but you don't say how you derived them.
So, like all marketing propaganda, you can come up with any value you want.

How are they wrong?

I got them from
https://endoflife.date/iphone
'supported OS X-Y' and 'released' columns, cross referenced with: https://endoflife.date/ios
'released' column for versions X and Y+1.

Those are all statements of fact - the day a phone was launched, the iOS it shipped with, and when a new version of iOS was released that no longer
worked on the phone. It doesn't depend on any subjective assessment of what 'supported' means - it's simply a binary 'does it run the latest OS Y/N'.

Release dates can all be checked with news articles - I didn't do that
legwork, but feel free to point out incorrect dates. I only checked one
model per generation, again feel free to cite models that are exceptions to
the trend.

We have the correct numbers in the Apple newsgroup for each iPhone sold.
a. Longest full iOS support: 6.99 years (iPhone XS / XS Max)
b. Shortest full iOS support: 2.37 years (iPhone 3G)
c. Average full iOS support: 5.10 years (over 20 models)

Going back into the 2000s will skew the average lower, but then phones were evolving rapidly and many people were getting a new phone every year. In
the list above, any phone released since 2012 got at least 5 years of
support. The 5 series was when the iPhone more or less settled down into a regular cadence - I didn't do the numbers for earlier models.

First off, it's not 6+ on average, it's 5 years, on average, but even so,
my free Galaxy A32-5G was only fully supported for 4 years, so the iPhone average is a full year longer than that of my el-cheapo free Android.

Bear in mind, I don't defend any mothership to the death, no matter what.
I simply state the facts.

Going back in time, the flagship phones I had in the mid 2010s (Galaxy Note
2, Note 4) all received only 2 years of support IIRC. I'm struggling to
think of any phones in that timeframe that ever got 5 years, let alone more recently.

Fairphone *claim* to offer long support periods, but as of now they're massively behind on updates. So when tested their claims aren't true.

Jesus Christ, Theo. Stop it with that bullshit. Just stop it.
I provided "the data" in excruciating detail on the Apple newsgroups.

Stop being ignorant, Theo. Just stop it. Cut the crap. Be a man.
I invested two full days in providing the data to the Apple ng, Theo.

You "invested" two seconds in declaring all the data in the world is meaningless to you because you only believe in marketing propaganda.

And I spent 10 minutes posting the data that actually matters.

Be a man Theo.
Apologize for saying what you just said.

The data I provided is more detailed than anything you'll ever find on th Internet, so cut the crap when you make childish claims out of ignorance.

Look it up first.
Then apologize if you're a man.

a. Longest full macOS software support was 2.49 years (OS X 10.4 Tiger)
b. Shortest full macOS software support was 0.51 years (OS X 10.0 Cheetah)
c. Average full macOS software support was 1.18 years (20 versions)
d. Typical full macOS software support was ~1.0-1.5 years

Verbatim:
1. iPhone OS 1 was released on June 29, 2007
2. The last known security update was iPhone OS 1.1.5 on July 15, 2008
3. That is 382 days, or 1.05 years of security updates after release

[snip]

This is a red herring. As you agreed above, Apple only support the most
recent iOS. Therefore the cutoff is when a phone is dropped from the new
iOS release. It may get updates for a little while longer, but Apple have
said that only the current iOS is fully patched. As we don't always get
told which patches are in each point release, we can't make a judgement as
to whether an older OS remains fully patched. So further updates trickling
out for old OSes after that are helpful, but if the criteria is for full security support it has to have the current iOS. Which is a fact that's
easy to determine.

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Theo wrote:

Your numbers are dead wrong, but you don't say how you derived them.
So, like all marketing propaganda, you can come up with any value you want.

How are they wrong?

I explained how they're wrong a few times already when you first showed
that garbage crowd-sourced web site which is complete & utter garbage.

Maybe one out of a million people understand how to calculate full support. Certainly that web site doesn't have a clue (see my prior analysis of it). <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/>

I got them from
https://endoflife.date/iphone
'supported OS X-Y' and 'released' columns, cross referenced with: https://endoflife.date/ios
'released' column for versions X and Y+1.

There is a lot of garbage on the Internet, and that web site is garbage.
Maybe one out of a million people know what we posted about EOS years ago.

That web site you keep references is complete & utter garbage. <https://hothardware.com/news/apple-admits-only-fully-patches-security-flaws-in-latest-os-releases>

Those are all statements of fact - the day a phone was launched, the iOS it shipped with, and when a new version of iOS was released that no longer worked on the phone. It doesn't depend on any subjective assessment of what 'supported' means - it's simply a binary 'does it run the latest OS Y/N'.

There is only one definition of "full" support, and it's not known by more
than one out of a million people, if that. But Apple publishes what it is. <https://screenrant.com/apple-product-security-update-lifespan/>

Release dates can all be checked with news articles - I didn't do that legwork, but feel free to point out incorrect dates. I only checked one model per generation, again feel free to cite models that are exceptions to the trend.

Only one out of a million people actually read Apple's release information.

Apple has never fully supported a release after the next release shipped. <https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/about-software-updates-depc4c80847a/web>
""not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

I've been telling people this for about 10 years or so, but it just
never sinks in. Most people are simply incapable of understanding facts.

We have the correct numbers in the Apple newsgroup for each iPhone sold.
a. Longest full iOS support: 6.99 years (iPhone XS / XS Max)
b. Shortest full iOS support: 2.37 years (iPhone 3G)
c. Average full iOS support: 5.10 years (over 20 models)

Going back into the 2000s will skew the average lower, but then phones were evolving rapidly and many people were getting a new phone every year. In
the list above, any phone released since 2012 got at least 5 years of support. The 5 series was when the iPhone more or less settled down into a regular cadence - I didn't do the numbers for earlier models.

Actually, even though I posted a separate thread with gory details for each iPhone, Chris yesterday kindly belatedly pointed out I missed one phone.
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: How long did iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus actually get full iOS support?
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:25:28 -0600
Message-ID: <10ru1f8$1lfd$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>

Q: How long did iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus actually get full iOS support?
A: 6.97 years

The iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus first shipped for retail sale
on September 25, 2015.

The last pre-iOS-16 release was iOS 15.7 on September 12, 2022.
2,544 days / 365 days in a year = 6.97 years for full iOS support

Note that I don't defend any mothership to the death, no matter what.
I simply state the facts.

But what's DIFFERENT (very much so) about me, is I understand them.
One out of a million people understand how Apple ships its releases.

First off, it's not 6+ on average, it's 5 years, on average, but even so,
my free Galaxy A32-5G was only fully supported for 4 years, so the iPhone
average is a full year longer than that of my el-cheapo free Android.

Bear in mind, I don't defend any mothership to the death, no matter what.
I simply state the facts.

Going back in time, the flagship phones I had in the mid 2010s (Galaxy Note 2, Note 4) all received only 2 years of support IIRC. I'm struggling to think of any phones in that timeframe that ever got 5 years, let alone more recently.

My 2021 free el-cheapo Galaxy A32-5G got a full update only a year ago, so
it received 4 years but I don't disagree Android phones had poor support.

But when we compare to the iPhone, we need to look at the flagships today.
iPhone 15(+) === Minimum 5 years from the first supply date
Pixel 8(+) === 7 years of Security Updates, OS Updates & Feature Drops
Galaxy S24(+) === 7 years of Security Updates & Android OS Upgrades

Fairphone *claim* to offer long support periods, but as of now they're massively behind on updates. So when tested their claims aren't true.

I don't doubt that claim.

You "invested" two seconds in declaring all the data in the world is
meaningless to you because you only believe in marketing propaganda.

And I spent 10 minutes posting the data that actually matters.

I apologize for being irritated. I'm extremely knowledgeable and it really bothers me that other people can't realize that web site is utter crap.

They made up their own definition of what "they think" support is.
Facts don't work that way.

This is a red herring. As you agreed above, Apple only support the most recent iOS. Therefore the cutoff is when a phone is dropped from the new
iOS release.

Again I apologize for being frustrated with you (and others) becasue it's shocking to me that after a decade of teaching, nobody gets the facts.

People just wanna believe in the marketing propaganda. Sigh.
I apologize for being frustrated with your posts. I am sorry.

It may get updates for a little while longer, but Apple have
said that only the current iOS is fully patched.

I've heard that sentence ten thousand times, and for ten thousand times I
have to point out Apple isn't special in doing "courtesy" patches long
after a release has ended its full support date.

That's why I bring up Windows XP because you are essentially saying
Microsoft is something special for fixing a bug 17-1/2 years later.

Apple isn't special in releasing a "courtesy" fix. Everyone does it.

a. Windows XP release date was on or about October 25, 2001
b. Microsoft released the (BlueKeep) KB4500331 on May 14, 2019
c. That's 17 years, 6 months and 19 days of "support".

As we don't always get
told which patches are in each point release, we can't make a judgement as
to whether an older OS remains fully patched.

This is bullshit. We DO get told what patches are in what release.

We have *plenty* of sources of what patches *should* be in each release.
I've been listing them for years on this newsgroup (e.g., KEV for one).

One in a million people understand how any OEM patches their systems.
That's why we opened this thread. To understand how it's done today.

So further updates trickling
out for old OSes after that are helpful, but if the criteria is for full security support it has to have the current iOS. Which is a fact that's
easy to determine.

I apologize for being frustrated with you Theo. I'm sorry for coming down
hard on you, but I've been explaining this stuff for many years now.

It never sinks in.
Sigh.

The length of time that a device is "fully patched" is from the date it's released to customers to the last full patch on that device. Right?

1. We know the definition of a full patch (everyone but Apple documents it)
2. But even Apple documents the full patch *after* they patch it
3. So we can doublecheck if it's a full patch, or not

And, given Google, Samsung & Apple follow the same procedures forever, we don't even have to count the number of known CVEs in the release.

We just have to know their procedures.
Why do people (like on that web site) pick any other ending date?

1. Pixel updates include all issues listed in the corresponding
month's Android Security Bulletin.
2. Google also includes Pixel-specific patches not in the ASB,
grouped by subsystem (modem, baseband, bootloader, GPU, etc.).
3. Each CVE entry includes severity, type, subsystem, and references
to AOSP changes when applicable .

1. Samsung updates all CVEs from the Android Security Bulletin
2. Samsung-specific SVEs (Knox, One UI, Exynos, Samsung services)
3. Plus chipset-vendor CVEs when applicable
All prioritized by severity, with Critical and High addressed first.

Apple's policy is the simplest of all since it doesn't exist.
In fact, Apple's policy is literally to not have a policy!
"Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues
until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases
are generally available." <https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100>

The whole point of this thread was to learn how support is really done.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 18/04/2026 15:10, Maria Sophia wrote:

Apple has never fully supported a release after the next release shipped.

Does this mean that someone who buys an Apple phone five minutes before
the next release ships will never have any updates?

Alan.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Alan Peeling <Alan@invalid.co.uk> wrote:

On 18/04/2026 15:10, Maria Sophia wrote:

Apple has never fully supported a release after the next release shipped.

Does this mean that someone who buys an Apple phone five minutes before
the next release ships will never have any updates?

Nope. Because the above statement is incorrect.

For the last 2-3 cycles Apple has supported the outgoing iOS version for at least 2-3 months after the current version is released. That's less of a
big deal than it sounds as the current version of iOS supports all but the oldest models.

--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Alan Peeling wrote:

On 18/04/2026 15:10, Maria Sophia wrote:

Apple has never fully supported a release after the next release shipped.

Does this mean that someone who buys an Apple phone five minutes before
the next release ships will never have any updates?

I wager one in a million people understand something as simple as support.
a. There's full support (which every OEM does)
b. There's basic maintenance forever (which only Android does)
c. And there's courtesy support (which can last for decades)

If you buy an iPhone one microsecond after the last update for any given
major release, you will NEVER AGAIN have the promise of full support.

If it's an Android device, you still have (b) forever and (c) above.
If it's an Apple device, you only have (c) above.

Just like there is a car warranty for "full support" and then a recall
happens when a defect is so dangerous that they bother to fix it free
Apple's support works the same way as everyone else's support works.
a. There is a period where critical CVEs are fixed
b. There's a forever period where core modules are patched (only Android)
c. Then there is a period where they're only a courtesy fix

Note that Android gives you basic maintenance on your car for free forever
for every car on the planet that is on the Internet above Android 10.

With Apple you never get that free basic maintenance forever.
Apple throws you off a cliff the instant the next release ships.

However, Apple does do random courtesy fixes when the bugs are severe.
Just like any car OEM does random courtesy recalls when they have to.

Apple isn't special in releasing a "courtesy" fix. Everyone does it.
It's only Apple owners who think it's a big deal for some reason.

But being in the courtesy-fix period is not the same as full support.
a. There's full support (everyone does that)
b. And there's basic maintenance forever (only Android does that)

To give you a real-world example of what "support" means, I ask:

Q: What would you say the end of full support was for Windows XP?
A: ?

Q: What about the end of any support whatsoever?
A: ?

2001-10-25 Windows XP released
2009-04-14 Mainstream support ended
2014-04-08 Extended support ended (official EOS)

2017-05-12 WannaCry / EternalBlue patch (KB4012598)
2017-06-13 Additional NSA-leak exploit patches
2019-05-14 BlueKeep patch (KB4500331)

From release (2001-10-25) to:
(KB4012598) 2017-05-12 = 15 years, 6 months, 17 days
(NSA-leak) 2017-06-13 = 15 years, 7 months, 19 days
(KB4500331) 2019-05-14 = 17 years, 6 months, 19 days

In summary, there are multiple kinds of support:
1. There is full support (everyone does that)
2. There is basic maintenance forever (only Android does that)
3. And then there is courtesy support (which can last for decades)

If you buy an iPhone one microsecond after the last update for any given
major release, you will NEVER AGAIN have the promise of full support.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Chris wrote:

Alan Peeling <Alan@invalid.co.uk> wrote:

On 18/04/2026 15:10, Maria Sophia wrote:

Apple has never fully supported a release after the next release shipped. >> Does this mean that someone who buys an Apple phone five minutes before

the next release ships will never have any updates?

Nope. Because the above statement is incorrect.

For the last 2-3 cycles Apple has supported the outgoing iOS version for at least 2-3 months after the current version is released. That's less of a
big deal than it sounds as the current version of iOS supports all but the oldest models.

I wager one in a million people understand something as simple as support.
a. There's full support (which every OEM does)
b. There's basic maintenance forever (which only Android does)
c. And there's courtesy support (which can last for decades)

If you buy an iPhone one microsecond after the last update for any given
major release, you will NEVER AGAIN have the promise of full support.

If it's an Android device, you still have (b) forever and (c) above.
If it's an Apple device, you only have (c) above.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Bob Martin wrote:

That would be good!

Given my 2021 free el-cheapo Samsung had 4 years of full support, I don't
think it at all difficult, nowadays, for Samsung to provide 7 years.

Galaxy Tab S10+
Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra <https://sammyguru.com/galaxy-tab-s10-and-s10-ultra-receive-updates-for-seven-years/>

Also these (see reference below).
Galaxy Tab S10 FE
Galaxy Tab S10 FE+

Note this article above covers all Galaxy phones, apparently, even mine:
*Here's every Samsung device eligible for 7 major Android updates*
<https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-android-updates-1148888/>

But, apparently there's a catch in that it's quarterly, not monthly.
<https://www.phonearena.com/news/galaxy-tab-s10-updates_id163563>
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2