In the battle to determine the most powerful cell phone between Samsung and Apple, there is one area where the iPhone has won time and again. And now, another reason to think twice before buying a Samsung phone has been revealed.

Samsung has removed the Galaxy S8 from its security update schedule; as reported by 9to5Google, Samsung will officially end support for the S8 four years after its release.

Previously, Samsung had been updating the Galaxy S8 twice a year, and it had just received a security patch in April. This update schedule is good compared to other Android phones, but not as good as what Apple offers.

The latest iOS 14.5 for the iPhone supports everything from the latest iPhone 12 to the first iPhone SE in 2016 to the iPhone 6s in 2015. This means that not only do six years' worth of models have access to the latest security updates, but also to the other features associated with iOS 14.5.

This means you can unlock your iPhone with a mask on an older iPhone (if you have an Apple Watch), use Apple's new privacy feature, App Tracking Transparency, and try AirTags (although, Precision Finding is limited to iPhone 11 and above).

Other upgrades in iOS 14.5 include crowdsourcing of Apple Maps for accident and speed checks, settings for preferred music services, a new Siri voice, and a redesigned Podcasts app.

Importantly, as smartphone performance improves, consumers are holding onto their devices longer between upgrades. In fact, according to Statista, the average life expectancy of a smartphone in the U.S. in 2020 was 3.17 years, and is expected to grow to 3.43 years by 2022.

In other words, overall, Apple is in a much better position than Samsung to ensure that users keep their phones for longer.