Just to toss something into the conversation...
Its a shame that updates bring issues, sometimes major issues that some consumers find unacceptable. This isn't just Verizon or Samsung though, its all carriers and OEM's when they add their bloatware and custom UI's over vanilla android things just end up the way they do. Most of the time its for the better but we have seen too many times where a useful app or feature ends up broken or bug ridden.
Well, to be fair, it's not *just* OEM versions of Android updates that have bugs. Sure, stuff like custom UIs and "bloatware" are additional variables and therefore possible points of failure, but even the Google versions of Android for Nexus devices (a.k.a. "Vanilla Android") are not without flaws and bugs. Heck, it's not even just Android...every time iOS updates there are always a TON of bug threads over on their forums, same goes for BlackBerry.
There will always be a delta in amount of variables and usage scenarios that can be tested in R&D and beta phases vs. full production use, so to some degree, bugs are inevitable...especially when you're talking about devices/software that is used so differently by so many different people.
It
is a shame, and it's downright frustrating when certain bugs are quickly discovered that SHOULD have been caught in pre-release testing...but I think folks should have a more realistic view about software updates sometimes...so often these forums are filled for months with folks clamoring for a certain update, then it arrives they are filled with folks complaining that "it sucks" and asking how to revert back. I prefer to sit back and wait a few days before installing anything (if possible), and see what problems pop-up before I pull the trigger and install.
I wish the there was just a simple option added in all devices where you can deny an update, period. Then if the day came that you wanted to update you can opt to take the updates. This would make so many people happier, at least in the forum communities. I feel bad for the common consumer that doesn't frequent smartphone forums and even have knowledge of the things we discuss on a daily basis. They just suffer with buggy updates and eventually move to a different phone at some point hoping to leave those problems behind.
Just like a lot of other things, this is tied to carrier support. Carriers want all of their devices on the same software version for 2 reasons:
1. Often they include components within the update that reflect a change in policy (i.e. certain apps or features are disabled)
2. They don't want fragmentation amongst users calling in for technical support. It can be difficult enough to train call center responders on how to troubleshoot common problems on
all the devices they carry, but it would be infinitely more difficult to have to train them across various software versions for each as well, let alone keeping that documentation in tact. If you're calling in for an issue with your S4, they want to be able to assume you're running whatever the latest software version is...in fact, if you do call in and your phone is for whatever reason NOT running the latest OS, the first thing they will is troubleshoot that, before they'll deal with the specific issue you are calling about. Otherwise, how do they know if your issue is legitimate, or simply a known bug that's already been fixed by a previous update?
Rooting isn't the answer either. Yes it has its advantages to those who wish to go down that path but with today's smartphones nobody should be forced into considering rooting to resolve things that the OEM's and carriers could be resolving during closed or limited testing before its pushed out to the masses.
Agreed. Nobody should be forced to void their warranty against their will and/or without understanding the risks involved. For the vast majority of smart phone owners (and not
just counting the folks here on this forum), rooting simply is NOT an option to consider.
I still say the best OS on any device is the OS version it ships/releases with and any update afterward RARELY provides a overall better experience, at least on the devices I've owned over the years.
Just my 2 cents.. Carry on
Usually that's because the original OS has gone through the most R&D prior to release and in general the hardware was built around it, instead of vice versa. I will throw one caveat out there though, as it does seem that often the very first update to be released is actually best (depending on the device of course), because in many cases these are updates that were already being worked on when the device was released, and often address any initial bugs the original software may have had.
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