Summary
- Samsung ends security updates for Galaxy S20 FE after the October 2025 patch; rest in peace.
- The S20 FE is current now but will get no future patches, leaving it more vulnerable to threats.
- Consider upgrading: Galaxy S25 FE or Pixel 9a offer newer Android and up to seven years of updates.
The Galaxy S20 FE was a very popular phone. It was a cheaper alternative to the Galaxy S20 series that still had some flagship qualities, but at a considerably lower price. Now, though, it has officially reached the end of its lifespan.
Samsung is officially ending security support for the Galaxy S20 FE, which means that as of now, the phone, which is one of the company’s most popular “Fan Edition” devices, is officially dead. The S20 FE is now expected to be dropped from Samsung’s security update list following the release of the October 2025 patch. That update—which has already been distributed to Galaxy devices—is supposed to be the final one scheduled for the S20 FE.
The device is technically up-to-date as of this month, but it will not receive any future security patches. This leaves the phone increasingly susceptible to evolving malicious attacks and security threats, as Samsung will no longer provide protection against newly discovered vulnerabilities. It’s the same reason why you should not stick with a Windows 10 PC unless you can grab an ESU or upgrade to Windows 11.
Samsung’s official update page currently lists the Galaxy S20 FE as eligible for quarterly updates, though the device is expected to be removed from that list imminently. It might still get a security update if a catastrophic zero-day pops up, but other than this, Samsung has already fulfilled its update promises for this particular phone.
The S20 FE was released back in 2020. It’s been five years since then, and while Samsung typically offers seven years of updates on their phones now, five was plenty back in the day. Nowadays, though, if you buy a new phone from Samsung, it should still last a full seven years from its initial release.
As for replacements, there are a few options you can grab. The Galaxy S25 FE was just released with similar specs to those in the regular Galaxy S25 series, and follows more or less the same philosophy. If you want to spend a little less, the Google Pixel 9a is also an option. All of these are powered by the latest version of Android and should get a full seven years of updates—if you take really good care of your phone, you’ll make it last all the way up to 2032. Not bad.
The Galaxy S20 FE had a good run, but all good things must come to an end. Rest in peace.
Source: 9to5Google