HMD promises 3 years of software updates for its new mid-range phones (and 2 years for budget models)

Android phone makers have a reputation for offering limited software support for their devices – buy a new phone today and maybe if you’re lucky it’ll receive one major Android operating system update and a few security updates.

But that’s starting to change. Google Pixel phones come with three years of guaranteed updates. Samsung flagships get up to four years. And even LG, which is shutting down its phone business, says it’ll deliver three major updates for existing phones.

Now HMD Global is launching six new low-cost and mid-range phones under the Nokia brand, and the company is promising to deliver up to three years of updates, depending on the model.

The new Nokia X20 and Nokia X10 are mid-range phones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 480G processors and starting prices of €349 and €309, respectively. Both phones feature 6.67 inch FHD+ displays, camera systems with Zeiss optics, and 5G connectivity.

They’ll both ship with Android 11 software and HMD is promising to deliver “three years of security and software updates” for these devices, which are also Android One products that will ship with a near-stock version of Google’s Android user interface.

Key differences between the two phones are the cameras, memory, and storage features. The Nokia X10 has a 48MP primary camera and comes in 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB, and 4GB/128GB RAM/storage configurations, while the Nokia X20’s primary camera has a 64MP image sensor and the phone is available in 6GB/128GB or 8GB/128GB configurations.

HMD’s new Nokia G series phones are a are about half the price. The Nokia G10 starts at €139 for a model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but supports up to 4GB/64GB, and the Nokia G20  starts at €159 for a 4GB/64GB model and supports up to 128GB of storage.

The company is pushing battery life as a key selling point on these 6.5 inch smartphones, promising up to three days of run time. When it comes to updates, the company says customers will get “three years of monthly security updates” but only “two years of OS updates.”

Finally, there’s the new Nokia C series of 6.5 inch phones that will ship with Android 11 Go Edition software. These budget phones include the €75 Nokia C10 with 1GB/16GB, 1GB/32GB and 2GB/16GB configuration options and the €89 Nokia C20 that will be available in 1/16GB or 2GB/32GB versions.

These phones… aren’t made to last as long. HMD is only promising “quarterly security updates for two years.”