These Android Phones Are Shutting Down for Good on September 27
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The wheel in the sky keeps on turning, and another generation of Android phones is being shuttered – so if you like to keep your phone as long as possible, it’s worth giving your model a quick check to see if you will be able to keep using it.
The first thing you need to check is which version of Android your phone is running. Android software generations previously came with candy-inspired names, and in this case, support is ending for Android Gingerbread 2.3.7 and anything earlier.
The next thing you must check is if you can upgrade to a newer version of Android. We’re currently at Android 11 (and in a post-dessert-themed universe), but anything from Android KitKat to Android Oreo will continue to be supported for now.
- So if you can update the software, then you can hold onto your ancient phone.
- If you cannot upgrade to a newer version of Android because of hardware or software limitations on the phone, then it’s time to say goodbye – you’ll want to switch to a newer phone within the next month.
Popular Phones with Android 2.3.7 (and Earlier) No Longer Supported
| Android Phone Model | Year Released |
| T-Mobile G1, HTC Dream | (2008) |
| Motorola Droid | (2009) |
| HTC Droid Incredible | (2010) |
| Motorola Droid X | (2010) |
| Samsung Galaxy S | (2010) |
What Happens If You Don’t Switch
to a Newer Device?
On September 27, 2021, Google will end account support for Android Gingerbread 2.3.7, which means you won’t be able to log into your Google account at all, rendering such devices more or less useless.
This kind of obsolescence can be annoying, but it’s not necessarily devious.
A mobile platform like Android is constantly updated to include important security fixes, speed improvements, new tools and features, more app support, and so on.
At a certain point, the hardware on a phone just can’t do everything that the software needs to do to function.
When that point comes, the life of a device comes to an end – and big companies like Google have to set a deadline at some point.
In this case, it’s been a generous 11 years since Android Gingerbread first showed up. If this poses a problem, maybe it really is time to get a new phone.
