In the Android community, Samsung's apathetic updates accept continued been the accustomed norm. With the Note 8's contempo Android Oreo update, Samsung completed anniversary adaptation updates to their 2017 flagship lineup. Now is a abundant time to attending aback on how Samsung has fared with updates over the accomplished few years. Hint: It's not pretty.
Many users accept absolved the arrangement of delayed updates due to the accomplished accouterments advancing from Samsung on a approved basis. As Android has evolved, the accent of approved security patches and belvedere upgrades has abundantly increased. In 2017, Samsung showed absurd affiance by absolution the Nougat amend for the Galaxy S7 in February, an impressively aboriginal accepted compared with antecedent years. Unfortunately, in 2018, we've apparent a corruption on the amend timeline for both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 lineups.
2016 Amend Season: Galaxy S6, S6 Edge & Note 5
Prior to 2016, Samsung was horrendously apathetic with Android belvedere updates on the Galaxy lineup. With the Galaxy S6 series, the aggregation began their charge to convalescent acceleration and turnaround time with their amend process.
The aboriginal phones in band for updates were the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung's 2015 flagship releases. On March 10,2016, Sprint became the aboriginal US carrier to aeon out the Marshmallow amend for the Galaxy S6 series. This absolution was almost bristles months afterwards Google's October 5, 2015 absolution of Android Marshmallow for Nexus devices.
Galaxy Note 5 users were a bit luckier, as the Verizon alternative best up Marshmallow on March 4,2016. It is account acquainted that the actual carrier updates trickled in over the aftermost few weeks of March 2016. Indeed, it is additionally analytical that Samsung waited until almost the aforementioned time to advance the amend for the Galaxy S and Note series. The Note 5 appear almost 6 months afterwards the Galaxy S6, which should accept fabricated it a antecedence for updates.
2017 Amend Season: Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge
In 2017, Samsung started off on the appropriate clue by blame the Android 7.0 Nougat amend to the T-Mobile Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on February 17, 2017. While this amend did access beforehand than 2016, it was still six months afterwards Google's official absolution of Nougat. The butt of the carrier variants in the US accustomed the amend over the final weeks of February.
By best accounts, this looks like an advance over the antecedent amend cycle, but there are a few important caveats.
Starting with the Galaxy S7 series, Samsung began alms an apart archetypal of their flagship phones. Abounding enthusiasts purchased this alternative in hopes of faster updates by absence the red band associated with carrier approvals. Unfortunately, those affairs didn't assignment out.
After blame best US carrier updates in February 2017, Samsung waited until aboriginal May 2017 to advance the Nougat amend to the apart models of the S7 and S7 Edge. This was a appealing big adversity and absolute head-scratcher. Why did it booty best to advance out an apart amend over the carrier branded variants?
The abandoning and accumulation anamnesis of the Galaxy Note 7 is accession important allotment in the 2017 amend puzzle. With alone a distinct flagship to update, it seems that the Galaxy S7 alternation should accept accustomed the OTA abundant faster. Instead, the amend accustomed alone a few weeks beforehand than in 2016. Accustomed that the Note 7 was not acceptable for an OTA, we additionally accept no abstraction how the amend would accept been prioritized in affiliation to the S7 Nougat update. We can brainstorm that the updates would accept accustomed abreast the aforementioned time frame, based on the 2016 data.
2018 Amend Season: Galaxy S8, S8+ & Note 8
That brings us to present day. Samsung aloof completed their 2018 flagship amend cycle. The aboriginal US Android 8.0 Oreo amend accustomed for the Verizon Galaxy S8/S8+ on March 15, 2018 — about seven months afterwards Google's official absolution of Android Oreo.
The Note 8 followed anon after, with the amend rolling out for the AT&T alternative on March 27, 2018. Already again, the Note alternation amend followed the S line, admitting the Note 8 actuality appear 6 months afterwards the Galaxy S8. Additionally, Samsung already afresh waited an added two weeks to advance the Oreo amend to the apart models of both the S8 and Note 8.
Looking Toward the Future
This arrangement of updates on Samsung's flagship calendar leaves a cardinal of questions:
- Why does it booty 6–7 months afterwards the official Android adaptation absolution to advance Galaxy updates?
- Why are Note accessories prioritized beneath than the agnate Galaxy S flagship?
- Why are apart models of Samsung's flagships accepting updates afterwards carrier variants?
- What is Samsung accomplishing to advance these issues and the accepted amend timeline?
The aboriginal three questions do not accept a absolute answer. Outside of Samsung engineers and accumulated brass, no one knows for sure. However, we can accomplish some accomplished guesses.
For starters, the 6–7 ages delay is acceptable a byproduct of Samsung's heavily customized TouchWiz skin. The ample bulk of added casework active on top of Android requires added time and absorption with anniversary new adaptation update. Samsung additionally works with a cardinal of carrier ally worldwide, necessitating a fatigued out acceptance process. Waiting until best of the all-around updates are accessible to aeon out acceptable mitigates complaints from consumers in alone markets.
The catechism of the Note calendar actuality prioritized is an absorbing one. On one hand, the newer accessory should be prioritized, but Samsung acceptable angle this a bit differently. The Galaxy S alternation sells almost 10 times added aggregate on boilerplate than the Note absolution on any accustomed year. With abounding added consumers affairs the S lineup, Samsung ability anticipate it astute to absolution updates for these phones first. In addition, the Note alternation has added software customizations due to continuously interfacing with the S-Pen.
What of the apart flagships? This is absolutely the best abstruse catechism of all. From a abstruse perspective, there is annihilation preventing Samsung from blame out apart updates afore their carrier-branded cousins. The alone apprehensible absolution is that Samsung has some acceding with carrier ally in the US to absolution those updates afore the apart models. While this archetypal does alienate some enthusiasts and Samsung loyalists, it is apparently assisting for Samsung in the continued run.
Thankfully, there is cogent achievement for the future. Over the accomplished two years, Samsung has instituted an official beta affairs for their Android updates on the Galaxy S series. This affairs apparently allows added all-embracing testing and user feedback. The 2019 amend aeon will additionally account from the accession of Google's Project Treble, which comes accepted on the Galaxy S9 series. While there is no agreement that Treble will decidedly access the acceleration of Samsung's flagship updates, but it is absolutely a big footfall in the appropriate direction.
At the end of the day, Samsung still makes the best accepted Android phones on the planet. People will abide affairs Galaxy flagships. As a consumer, you accept to accomplish a best about whether appropriate Android adaptation updates amount to you at this moment. Maybe Samsung gives you so abounding added appearance that you don't affliction appropriate now. But in a apple area security apropos are acceptable added prevalent, the affair of delayed updates will boring become added important.
Hopefully, Samsung will use the accoutrement in Project Treble to accompany us added appropriate updates in 2019. Let us apperceive in the comments how you feel about Samsung's amend timing. Are you mad? Do Android updates not amount abundant to you? Sound off!
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