Every Used Samsung Galaxy Phone Still Worth Buying (Based On Software Updates)

Over the years, the Android smartphone market has become fiercely competitive, with new brands emerging quite often. However, premium brands like Google and Samsung have been competing with each other not only to deliver better hardware, but also to offer longer software support. For many years, Apple was regarded as the industry leader for providing software updates for its iPhones, offering support for 5 to 7 years, which made them more reliable and a better value for consumers. But now, the landscape has shifted, and Android manufacturers have caught up — and in some cases, surpassed Apple — in providing software updates.

Among them, Samsung has emerged as a leader. Starting January 2024, the company started offering seven years of software update support for its smartphones. This includes both the Android OS upgrades and security updates. This shift reshaped buyers' confidence in Android smartphones, and the commitment ensures that older Galaxy models will not only remain secure and support the latest features, but also be more future-proof than ever. While Samsung smartphones are among the most difficult phones to repair, the vast smartphone portfolio ensures that there is something for everyone.

That means you can buy a used Samsung Galaxy flagship or mid-range phone without worrying about outdated software. Among its list of best and worst phones, we've highlighted all the Samsung Galaxy models still worth buying today, based on how many years of official software support remain. Only phones with four years or more of updates left have been included, ensuring you get the best value.

Samsung introduced the A-series in late 2014 with the first-generation Galaxy A3 and A5 models. The A-series stands for the Alpha series, and according to Samsung, they are known for their "infinity screens, marathon batteries, and next-level cameras." Since its debut, the A-series has become one of Samsung's best-selling mid-range lineups. Despite catering to the budget smartphone segment, Samsung hasn't compromised on software support. For instance, the Galaxy A07 — a budget A-series phone launched in August 2025 in a few markets — comes with six years of software update support.

Since it ships with Android 15 out of the box, the device will receive updates up to Android 21. Other Galaxy A-series phones that have four years or more of software updates remaining include the Galaxy A16 (4G and 5G), Galaxy A26, Galaxy A36, and Galaxy A56. The Galaxy A16, which comes with Android 14, will be supported through Android 20. Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy A26, A36, and A56, which launched together in March 2025, all running Android 15 One UI 7, are slated to receive six major OS upgrades. This means that their final Android version will roll out in 2031.

If you are considering buying a used Samsung Galaxy phone, any of the newer A-series models are excellent choices, thanks to the long-term software support.

Samsung introduced a new lineup of phones — the Galaxy M series — in 2019. This series caters to budget-conscious young buyers of emerging markets across the globe. The first M-series phones were the Galaxy M10 and M20, launched in February 2019, which were joined by the Galaxy M30 the next month. One of the key selling points of the M-series phones, apart from affordability, is the battery they carry inside. Most of the M-series phones feature some of the biggest batteries ever used by Samsung inside a smartphone. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy M51 packs a 7,000 mAh battery — the biggest from Samsung ever.

Despite being affordable and serving the entry-level market, Samsung has extended its long software support policy to the M-series as well. As for the best used Samsung Galaxy M-series phones that still have four years or more of software support left, they include the Galaxy M16, M36, and M56. They were launched in February, April, and June 2025, respectively.

All these phones came with Android 15 One UI 7 out of the box and are promised to receive six Android OS and security updates. Meaning, the last software update on these devices will be pushed in 2031. Thanks to this software support policy, the Galaxy M16, M36, and M56 can be good options for used phones if you are tight on budget.

Another budget-friendly lineup that serves the young consumers of emerging markets is the Samsung Galaxy F-series. Samsung launched the first F-series phone in 2020 with the Galaxy F41. While the Galaxy M-series focuses more on battery and slightly better specifications, the Galaxy F-series is more shifted towards better cameras and a premium design. While both the Galaxy M-series and F-series phones are mainly available via online retailers, some models are also available offline. You will find that phones from the F-series and the M-series are in the same price range.

In fact, many F-series models are rebranded versions of M-series and A-series phones, but are sold in collaboration with online retailers like Flipkart. The three models that still have four years or more of software updates left share the same numbers as the Galaxy M-series phones in this article. Notably, the Galaxy F16, F56, and F36, launched in March, May, and July 2025 respectively, come pre-installed with Android 15. Samsung has promised six generations of Android OS and six years of security updates for all these phones.

This means that their last update will land in 2031. The Galaxy F56 is the slimmest F-series phone from Samsung, measuring just 7.2 mm thick. The Galaxy F36 comes with a premium leather finish along with a bunch of AI features, and the Galaxy A16 has the segment-leading AMOLED display, camera, and performance. All of this makes them a good purchase in the used smartphone market.

The Galaxy S series is Samsung's flagship lineup. The first model — the Galaxy S — came out in 2010. Since then, Samsung has launched a new Galaxy S-series phone every year. Another interesting turn in the S-series and Note series came in 2022, when Samsung merged the S and Note series and introduced the Galaxy S22 Ultra, with the iconic S-Pen from the Note series. Samsung promises seven years of software update support for its flagships, but only for devices sold after January 2024. Based on that, anything after the Galaxy S24 series will be a good choice for a used phone.

Notably, the Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE, S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, and the slimmest Samsung phone, the S25 Edge, are all eligible for seven years of Android OS and security updates. The Galaxy S24 series came with Android 14 out of the box, and its last Android OS upgrade will be Android 21. The latest flagships, the Galaxy S25, came with Android 15, and with seven years of software update support, they will be good until Android 22.

These are the company's best products, so you can expect top performance for years. Also, you will be able to enjoy all the AI features that the company deploys during those years.

Another premium range of phones from Samsung, which, as you'd expect, fold and flip, are the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series. The first-ever Samsung phone that folded was the Galaxy Z Fold, launched in 2019. Then the next year, Samsung launched a clamshell flip phone, the Galaxy Z Flip. Since then, the company has been launching both phones together, sometime around July or August. Currently, they're in their seventh generation (Samsung skipped number "2" in the lineup). The latest gen also includes an affordable flip phone, the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE, which is essentially the Galaxy Z Fold6, minus a few features.

Talking about the software updates, the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip models Six and Seven, plus the Flip7 FE, are all eligible for seven years of software updates. This year, Samsung graced the seventh gen with Android 16 One UI 8.1 out of the box, so the last update for them will be Android 23. As for the sixth gen, they run Android 14 out of the box and have received the Android 15 update. They will continue to receive updates for six years, or until Android 22.

The sixth gen of Fold and Flip are quite popular on the used phone market, and based on the number of updates remaining, they'll be a good deal, along with the current generation folds and flips.

The Galaxy XCover is not a very popular model in Samsung's portfolio despite being sold across Europe, Asia, North America, and other regions. This is a rugged phone lineup from Samsung, specially made for frontline workers and jobs where drops and rough-tough usage are normal. While these phones don't feature top-of-the-line specifications, they are built to last. With military-grade ruggedness and dust and water resistance, these phones come with much stronger build quality than any of the other phones in Samsung's portfolio.

The Galaxy XCover7, which was launched in 2024, will officially receive four generations of Android OS upgrades and five years of security update support. The device comes with Android 14 out of the box, meaning the last update will be Android 18, which will most likely come out in 2030.

While you will rarely find the Galaxy XCover7 in the used smartphone market, you can purchase it if you want a rugged phone, don't care about the specs, want to rough up your phone, and, more importantly, want to buy from a brand that you trust.

The above list is based on Samsung's official software update policy and some other trusted databases. It includes both Android OS and security updates for each Samsung smartphone model. Only models with four or more years of updates left were included, as anything less would soon miss out on the latest Android features and critical security updates. The phones are grouped by their series to reflect Samsung's product segmentation.