Nokia may no longer be the most popular mobile brand in the world today but it’s certainly one of the more prolific phone makers. Thanks to HMD for allowing Nokia to have a new lease on life by releasing new Nokia phones powered by Android OS. It was in 2017 when Nokia first released an Android phone that has since received a number of follow-up models and updates. We’ve lost count of how many Nokia smartphones were released but we know most of them regularly receive OS and software updates.
It’s easy for the Nokia team to roll out updates because the product lineup isn’t that long. We remember BlackBerry boasting the honor of releasing monthly updates but now, it’s Nokia’s turn. About 96% of all Nokia devices have received the latest versions of Android available in most regions especially for the sub $200 smartphone category.
As for premium smartphones, only a quarter are updated to the latest Android version. Most Nokia smartphones now run on Android 9 Pie. If you need proof, just check our archives for all related releases including the Nokia 1, Nokia 3, Nokia 2.1, Nokia 3.1 Plus, Nokia 5, Nokia 5.1 Plus, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 6.1, and Nokia X7 among others.
We’re always up-to-date with Android 9 Pie updates for Nokia phones. Counterpoint Research has recently published ‘Software and Security Updates: The Missing Link for Smartphones’. The report contains information about the speed of OEMs when it comes to releasing software and security updates.
Nokia leads the list of phone makers that send out updates the fastest. Research Director Peter Richardson shared, “Operating system and security updates are an aspect of Android smartphones that get relatively little attention. In our experience researching the industry, we have seen few brands focusing on this. And perhaps because manufacturers are not talking about it, consumer awareness is also low. It doesn’t appear among the ten features consumers say they care about most, in our research.”
Not many OEMs exert effort in sending out regular updates for device security and OS. Such upgrades are needed because features like the process, memory, camera, and battery life are linked to the total performance of a device as allowed by the operating system running.
Nokia is followed by Samsung (89%) and Xiaomi (84%) when it comes to releasing OS and software updates. Lenovo is also on top of the game, especially in the premium tier.
