Samsung has announced that it will release free updates to its Tizen smart TV platform for the next seven years, as reported by FlatpanelsHD.
Starting with 2024 models, with some 2023 models to follow, Samsung TV owners can expect updates to the Tizen smart TV platform built-in to their TVs, and although specific details are scarce, it should mean users will receive many of the same new features you'll find on newer models from 2025 onwards.
This follows in the footsteps of LG, which announced a five-year commitment to upgrading models from 2024, 2023 and even 2022 with free updates to the relevant webOS, just behind newer TVs – for example 2022 models will receive webOS 23 in 2024, webOS 24 in 2025 and so on.
Samsung was one of the last brands to hold off on these upgrades, reserving the latest iteration of its Tizen smart TV platform to new models only, while the likes of Roku, Google TV, Fire TV and more all providing upgrades to their smart TV platforms across both older and newer models with each update – making it preferential to use a streaming box over your TV's software if it's older than a few years.
About time
It's surprising that Samsung, maker of some of the best TVs on the market, has taken this long to provide these free updates to Tizen. Obviously, for Samsung fans and Tizen users, it generally forces them to move onto the latest models every time they're wanting to access the latest iteration of Tizen – especially if they want to avoid having to switch to Fire TV, Roku and so on made available through some of the best streaming devices.
Thankfully, it has now listened to users and seen what the competition, mainly LG, has done and has followed suit. In recent reviews of Samsung TVs, such as the Samsung S95D (the best OLED TV of 2024 when it comes to sheer performance) or Samsung QN85D (a more entry-level mini-LED set) Tizen has been a consistent highlight and while it may not be everyone's favorite, its user-friendly layout and strong library of apps and features mean it is one of the better smart TV platforms around.
By committing to these free updates, Samsung solves one of its biggest issues that garnered criticism from both users and critics alike – stopping users from feeling the need to have to upgrade their TVs needlessly, fearing the disappearance or stilted performance of apps or missing features.
It's a welcome announcement that puts the consumer first, which – after a year of smart TV platform news that's included ads, ads and more ads – is a sight for sore eyes.
