Apple Fastest to Deliver Smartphone Security Updates, Only 2 Android Makers Perform Well: Report

A comparison highlighting different smartphone brands on the basis of their security update performance has expectedly shown Apple as the leader, while most of the renowned Android vendors have been listed with poor ratings. Among other companies, LG and Samsung are reported to be massively lagging behind the iPhone maker as they take quite a long time to release security updates for their devices. Essential Phone and Google are, however, noted as the leading Android brands to release faster Android updates.

The comparison, released by SecurityLab for period of January-February 2018, has listed smartphone brands majorly on the basis of four different factors, including the shortest time to publish a security update following discovery of a vulnerability, maximum delay in making the update available to all, whether or not updates were independent of carriers, and how long a device is supported with security updates. It also includes parameters such as the shortest time to update.

Photo Credit: SecurityLab

SecurityLab has listed most of the popular smartphone makers, but Apple is leading with green rating across all the factors. The shortest time to issue an update for Apple is claimed to be measured in days, and the availability of updates throughout the world within one day makes it the most dominating player in the analysis. Since iOS updates are independent of carriers, Apple is also competing against most of the Android vendors, except FairPhone and OnePlus that both are also offering carrier-independent security updates. Further, the SecurityLab team has highlighted that Apple supports devices for five years - it missed that criteria with the iPhone 5c, though, as the handset was supported for four years.

When it comes to Android vendors, Essential Phone and Google have emerged as the two top brands with comparatively higher scores than other companies. However, both are found to rely on carriers for some security updates and offer device support for only three years, rather than Apple's record five-year-long support.

Unlike Essential Phone and Google, Samsung hasn't been on top in the SecurityLab comparison. The South Korean company allegedly offers its fastest security updates in weeks instead of days and some of its devices even take months to get security fixes. Similarly, it has been spotted that Samsung only supports devices from 2.5 years to an year.