Samsung shows everyone who’s the king of Android updates
I’ve been covering Samsung for long enough to remember the time when its track record with Android updates used to be dismal. Samsung would often be the last among all Android OEMs to launch major software updates. Even when they did arrive users in select markets, particularly those with carrier-locked units in the US, would have to wait far longer than everybody else.
It was not an ideal situation and it didn’t really reflect all that well on the company. The question became why a company like Samsung, with incredible talent and resources at its disposal, can’t just get its act together when it comes to updates. Yes, there were some bottlenecks that Samsung had little control over, but it was evident that there was a significant room for improvement in the company’s own processes.
Over the past few years, Samsung has demonstrated an incredible commitment to overcoming these issues. Gone are the days when users across the globe had to wait for an unreasonably long amount of time for the updates to arrive. Ever since monthly security updates were adopted for Android devices, Samsung has been on top of them, often releasing the patches for the coming month even before it beings.
We got another example of that just today. Samsung has already released the August 2022 security patch for the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S20 series. No other Android OEM has done that so far. We’ve seen such impressive pace from Samsung multiple times over the past couple of years that it’s not even surprising now. As a Samsung fan, it makes me proud to see how Samsung has turned this around.
At this rate, Samsung is doing an even better job than Google in sending out Android updates. That’s ironic, considering the fact that Google owns Android. Then again, we’ve explained in the past as well how Samsung has made a habit of out-Androiding Google. Evidently, if you value security for your mobile device, you should be rocking a Samsung phone. No other OEM is going to be as proactive with security updates.
This is not the only manner in which Samsung stands out from the rest of the Android pack. The company promises four years of Android OS upgrades for select flagship and Galaxy A mid-range devices. These devices also receive five years of security patches. The vast majority of Android smartphone makers only provide two years of OS upgrades. Even Google’s current Pixel phones don’t enjoy this level of software support.
The smartphone industry has been equalized to a large extent. Most phones feel the same and feature similar hardware. While Samsung is pushing the envelope with its foldable smartphones, it has also adopted a very smart strategy to make its phones stand out of the competition in a very crowded market.
If you’re someone who tends to not change phones every other year, which the vast majority of people are, you’d obviously want a phone that continues to receive major Android OS upgrades. So while a phone from another manufacturer might be slightly cheaper, it won’t provide you with prolonged access to new features that a Samsung phone can.
That’s not to say that there’s not a Samsung phone for every price segment. There’s enough depth in Samsung’s smartphone lineup to support every kind of customer. Even if it feels that Samsung’s phones are a bit more expensive than the competition, at least that extra bit of money is going to make a huge difference when it comes to software support.
This is particularly evident when comparing Samsung phones against its Chinese rivals. For years they’ve tried and failed to eliminate Samsung’s dominance. Even years of aggressively undercutting Samsung on pricing hasn’t worked. The Korean juggernaut has leveraged its excellent consumer insight to stay ahead of the relentless competition.
Samsung had a point to prove given its less than desirable history with software updates. It has done that spectacularly. There’s no other company that can lay claim to its utter dominance of the process. Samsung has become a shining example of how an OEM should go about providing software support. As things stand, there’s no doubt that the company will go strength to strength so that there’s absolutely no doubt as to who is the king of Android updates.
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