Richard Gunstone - Blog

Using Co Pilot to discover end of life status of a device (Featured)

In todays cyber security climate, the end of life date of a device is a big deal. End of life dates result in implications for patch support, leading to fossilised devices continuing to be used that are increasingly full of holes and vulnerable to exploitation.

Finding the end of life date for a variety of devices has always been an ardous task, usually involving 3-10 page deep searches across search engines and manufacturer web sites.

For the general non-tech specialist public, this is a really big ask but increasingly important given the scale of unsupported (end of life) devices being used for everyday digital requirements such as banking and web surfing. (Over 3 billion Android devices are in use today and three quarters of smartphones run the OS).

If an Android device was launched in April 2021 and receives five years of security updates, the last update will be in April 2026, irrespective of when the device was purchased.

It's nice to see then that Co Pilot can accept some fairly easy to write queries and generate the end of life date information as a written response, without the need for all of the hard work of page navigation.

Let's say we have a Samsung S5 (one of my old phones) and wondered whether it was still supported. Let's put the query when is the samsung s5 end of life into Bing Co Pilot and Google Gemini.

Bing Co Pilot says: "The Samsung Galaxy S5, which was unveiled in February 2014 and released in April 2014, has long reached its end of life. As of now, it no longer receives official software updates or security patches1. If you’re still using the Galaxy S5, consider upgrading to a newer device for better performance and security. "

Google Gemini says: "The Samsung Galaxy S5 reached its end of life for software updates in November 2021. This means it no longer receives security updates or new versions of the Android operating system."

Finishing off, let's ask Gemini why using a supported mobile device is important. Gemini responds:

There are a couple of reasons why using a mobile device that is in support is important:

• Security: Manufacturers regularly release software updates that patch security holes in their devices. These holes can be exploited by hackers to steal your data or take control of your device. By using a device that is still in support, you're ensuring that you're getting the latest security updates and protecting yourself from these threats.
• Compatibility: As apps and websites are updated, they may start to require newer versions of the operating system that your device doesn't have access to if it's out of support. This can make it difficult or impossible to use some of your favorite apps or access certain websites.
• New features: Software updates often come with new features and improvements. By using a device that is in support, you'll be able to take advantage of these new features.

Overall, using a mobile device that is in support is important for security, compatibility, and access to the latest features.

Simple but a nice benefit for the general public.