Why ‘One In Four’ Users Need To Buy A New Smartphone
Does this warning affect you?
More than a billion smartphones are now at risk, with “known vulnerabilities” already locked in. And with the mobile threat landscape getting ever worse, the “one in four” affected users need to buy something new — or at least newer — before it’s too late.
This situation is more acute for Android than iPhone, given its fragmented and more open ecosystem, and the inherent risks in installing apps from outside Play Store. But Apple’s devices are not immune, and multiple iPhones are now at risk.
For Android users, the dividing line is Android 13 and newer. Google no longer provides security updates for Android 12, meaning manufacturers must backport updates if they’re provided — that’s expensive and rare.
iOS risk list
Google has also augmented its Play Integrity API to enable app developers to restrict features on those older devices. And so if you phone won’t update to Android 13 as a minimum, consider yourself on the upgrade list.
The latest warning comes from Zimperium, and echoes the findings in its latest Global Mobile Treat Report. “A significant percentage (25.3%) of devices are not upgradeable due to the device’s age.” This impacts all users, but if you take your phone to work and access corporate IT systems, then those risks are hugely amplified.
Androids on the risk list.
While one in four phones can’t be updated, the same again are likely running outdated software because they haven’t been updated, which is arguably even worse.
“At any given point in the year, over 50% of mobile devices are running outdated OS versions, and a significant number are compromised or infected,” Zimperium says. “This creates untrusted environments where even apps that employ security measures are susceptible to manipulation.”
While there’s clearly a hurdle to buying a new phone, there’s no hurdle to updating the one you already have and ensuring it always has the latest version of the OS. If you are running a phone that can’t upgrade to a current OS, the risks are not worth the savings.