Smart Phones have become a necessity, rather than a luxury these days. As it not only helps connect with our near and dear ones but also helps in doing our day-to-day chores. But do you know that 77% of malware and espionage-related cyber-attacks are targeted on Smart Phones than other computing devices such as smartwatches.
Therefore, one needs to be cautious while buying a smartphone, and following the below said tips might help
Handset purchase & Security Support– One needs to know that phone support begins when a phone’s OS is loaded onto it and not when one buys a handset. So, if you are planning to keep your device for a long time, then better go for a newly launched model.
Google tries to monopolize the mobile market– Each manufacture offers security support for a specific time frame. And out of those, Google released Pixels models have a support life of just 2 years. While Apple offers a support life of 5 years; followed by OnePlus that offers 4 years of support for security updates. Rest all like Motorola, Huawei, Honor, RealMe, and Xioami come just a 20 months support lifecycle.
Phone support period VS its cost- It is evident that most priced phones get special treatment when it comes to security update support. Therefore, if you are planning to take a smartphone for a long time, then plan for an expensive Apple iPhone as it will offer max life for security updates, followed by Samsung Galaxy Series and OnePlus.
No legal obligation to provide support- There is no international rule that makes it mandatory for smartphone manufacturers to provide security updates. However, the regular industry standard is that all OEMs must and should provide an industry standard for at least 2 years.
Security on Contract-based Phones- There is no guarantee that a device might receive security updates throughout its contract. So, better be aware of this scenario.
Retailers and support issues- Most retailers put discounts on the device that are nearing their shelf life- meaning those released almost 4-5 years ago. But buying such phones even at a discount might not make you happy in the long run as it can lead to situations where a smartphone compromise is possible at any movement.
No notification for end of Security updates- Users of smartphones might never know when their device support ends, as there is no proper way, to notify such events to device users.
Hope the above-published info helps while buying a smartphone!
