5 Phones You Shouldn’t Buy in 2020

Samsung Galaxy S7

You might be tempted to buy the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, or the rugged Galaxy S7 Active. These devices are still performing pretty well in 2020, but most people are better off going with a new Galaxy S model.

The Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy S7 Active will stay behind on Android Oreo. Samsung hasn't confirmed an Android Pie update and the devices haven't shown up on any Android Pie roadmaps.

None of them will get upgraded to Samsung's Android 10 update (which includes One UI 2.0) either. 

If you want to get the One UI on a Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, or Galaxy S7 Active, you'll need to do it manually. And a lot of people don't have the time or patience to do that. 

Samsung and its carrier partners are still pushing out updates to these devices, but they've become infrequent. Bug fixes come every so often and the company is still committed to pushing out quarterly security updates. However, that will change soon.

At some point, Samsung will remove these Galaxy S7 models from its quarterly upgrade list. At that point, you'll be entirely on your own. 

Newer devices like the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S9, and mid-range phones like the Galaxy A series and Galaxy J series won't have that problem. 

These devices will move to Samsung's version of Android 10, they'll get fixes and patches for the foreseeable future, and they've got better hardware. This makes them a much better choice in 2020. 

On top of that, there are tons of Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S9 deals out there. You don't need to pay anywhere near full price for these devices, especially if you've got a phone in great condition. You might be able to trade it in for hundreds of dollars off the current price. 

If you want to hold onto your next phone for a year or more, think about going with a newer Galaxy S model or a newer phone from another Android OEM over the Galaxy S7 series.