14 DAY TRIAL // An analysis made by SecurityLab and published today reveals that Windows phones from Microsoft and Apple’s iPhones are typically the first devices to receive security updates whenever a new vulnerability is discovered, while Android is lagging behind at a rate that depends on each manufacturer.
The research, which is detailed in the table attached to the article, looked into how fast vendors publish a software update for the first device and for all supported models, but also the maximum worldwide availability delay that could happen after a new patch is released.
Apple is said to be the fastest when it comes to publishing software updates, as it typically takes just a few days for Cupertino to publish a security patch for all devices, and all releases are carrier independent for all devices. The same thing happens on Windows phones, though Microsoft has already pushed Windows 10 Mobile to maintenance mode and no new features are planned.
The Android world
When it comes to Android, only Essential and Google are getting close to Apple and Microsoft, as they both need just a few days to publish software updates, but on the other hand, it could take months until all their devices receive updates because they are dependent on carriers.
Samsung, for instance, releases a security update for the flagship model in terms of weeks, but it takes months until all devices receive it. When it comes to the availability delay, we’re talking quarters here, the research shows.
Unfortunately for Samsung, this is entirely true, as the company really has a problem finding the correct approach for software updates. Major delays are hitting even its flagship phones, while the monthly security updates that all devices should get are released every few months, leaving some vulnerabilities exposed on a significant number of devices.
You can see the way other Android phone manufacturers handle software updates in the table here.