Samsung has announced seven years of security and feature updates for its smart TVs. Its AI-powered TVs launched in 2024 and select 2023 models will receive security enhancements and Tizen OS updates for seven years. The company also offers the same level of update support to its flagship phones, including the latest foldables.
Samsung smart TVs now get seven years of updates
At the Galaxy S24 launch, Samsung announced a remarkable upgrade to its software update policy. It said the new flagships will receive security and feature updates for seven years. That’s three additional OS updates and two extra years of security patches compared to the existing policy. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are also covered under the upgraded policy.
Samsung has now extended this support policy to its AI smart TVs. The company’s head of the visual display business division, Yong Seok-woo, announced this update during a business briefing on Thursday. “We will widen the gap in market share with Chinese companies with the seven-year free upgrade of Tizen applied to AI TVs,” Yong said speaking to the media.
The Samsung executive added that the connectivity offered by the Tizen OS is a differentiator that sets its TVs apart from Chinese firms like TCL and Hisense. It aims to maximize the advantage by offering longer support than the competition. The Korean firm already leads the global TV market by a huge margin. The updated support policy should help bolster the lead.
At the end of 2023, Tizen OS powered over 270 million Samsung smart TVs. It became the world’s largest TV company for the 19th year in a row. The company had a market share of 28.8% in the first half of 2024, followed distantly by LG with a 16.6% share. TCL and Hisense made up the top four brands with a market share of 12.1% and 10.0%, respectively.
Despite the unreal dominance, Samsung knows it can’t sit idle. It has been at the top due to constant innovation. Longer update support is something the company likely sees as an important investment toward winning customer trust. Samsung also has several new features planned for its AI smart TVs, including real-time translation of shows and AI-generated subtitles.
