Samsung has announced that as part of its AI TV initiative, it will begin supporting its latest TVs with up to seven years of software updates. This brings Samsung's TV update strategy in line with its latest AI-powered smartphones, with news that the Galaxy S24 series will also receive seven years of software support.
The announcement made by the President of Samsung Electronics Visual Display Business Division, Yoon Seok-woo (and brought to our attention by Business Korea), confirms that the current crop of Tizen OS-powered smart TVs in Samsung's roster will be updated in 2031, which is excellent news if you've just splashed out on an S95D, QN95D or Q900D and are planning on making it last.
It appears that all Samsung TVs released this year will receive the full extent of the software support, while some selected 2023 models will also be graced with an extended life span. Samsung hasn't confirmed which models these are quite yet, but we presume the flagship models, such as the S95C, will take priority. We suspect that it will be seven years from the launch of the TV rather than this announcement date, so the 2023 models will most likely be updated until 2030.
This move has also been made in hopes of "widening the market share gap with Chinese competitors" according to Business Korea: we presume that quote is in reference to Hisense and TCL. Again according to this source, Samsung has reportedly held firm in the first half of 2024, earning the top spot in the global TV market share with 28.8 per cent. However, TCL and Hisense appear to be fast approaching with a reported combined market share of 22.1 per cent.
Owners of Samsung TVs from 2022 or earlier may feel slightly dejected with this recent announcement, as they likely won't see the same software support longevity on their models. Samsung hasn't announced how long it plans to support its older TVs either; however, these models lack the latest AI feature sets and are, therefore, understandably not as easy to upkeep.
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