Nokia launched its first smartphones for the global market at Mobile World Congress in 2017. At the time of its launch, the company promised timely software updates to stay ahead of Android rivals. It promised two years for updates its new devices. While it has been two years since the launch of its first Android smartphones, the company has made a new announcement. HMD Global, the Finnish company with Nokia brand license, is extending the software updates for another year. The Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 will get additional software updates for a year.
While these devices received monthly security updates for now, they will switch to quarterly security updates. It means Nokia 3, 5, 6 and 8 users can continue using their devices for another year. HMD Global is only promising additional year of security updates and not main software update. Since not all the devices conclude their two year run at the same time, the timeline is different. Nokia 3 will get quarterly updates starting September 2019 and will conclude in September 2020.
Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 will receive quarterly updates from October 2019 till October 2020. The fine-print reveals that Nokia also has other hidden terms and conditions. Not all versions of these smartphones will continue to receive quarterly security updates. According to Android Police, the US/Indian version of the Nokia 6 on Amazon won’t get the extended security update. In other words, Nokia 6 will cease to receive security updates at the end of October 2019.
Nokia 2, which is a relatively newer device, will not receive updates after November 2019. The device also never saw the taste of Android 9 Pie, before it’s being killed. HMD Global has built its smartphone portfolio around Android One and Android Go program. As part of the program, it promised at least two years of regular security and software updates. Now, by extending security updates for another year, Nokia is matching Google’s Pixel smartphones. It is not immediately clear whether Nokia will extend this to other devices as well.
