Samsung throttling - No phone of the year

[VidJunky]

I really had high hopes that this was going to make at least a few reviewer's lists for top phone of the year. Not sure what award it will receive given this scandal. LOL. Go back with me perhaps some of you were like me when you first heard about Samsung's throttling through the Game Optimizer app. When I first got the notification to turn on the Game Optimizing app I was skeptical. Why do I need an app to optimize my games? I thought they were optimizing searching for games by putting them all in one place making it easier for me to find them even though I was already putting them in a game folder. I did like seeing my stats and later some of the instant play games were kind of a novelty and while I never really got what the point was it became an easy habit to fall into.

Fast forward, 2022 and Game Optimizer is revealed to be a throttling app. Not only suppressing game performance but also suppressing regular apps that might push the limits. When I first head about this I wasn't overly concerned. The device still did everything I wanted it to do and did it without any hitches or hiccups. And if it was doing it to preserve some battery, something we've all been concerned about at one time or another, no harm no foul, right? Then following closely on the heels of that epiphany all of the bad that started showing up. Bans from benchmark apps and sites, rumors that sales were taking a hit due to this and a rushed patch, which was supposed to give us back control but really didn't give the control promised.

I'm not saying that I regret my purchase, I really wanted the built in S-Pen and the other upgrades, although few from the S21, that came with this new device. What about you? Have these revelations changed your opinion about your purchase? If you'd known about this prior to buying would you have passed on this device? Does this make you trust Samsung any less and what will that mean for your relationship with them moving forward?

 

[mustang7757]

It's one of best phones you can get your hands on but all these manufacturers have done something at one point like iPhone throttling performance for battery, One plus also was caught. My personal favorite has become Fold³ and pixel 6pro is up there with s22u so I don't have best phone of the year but do have favorites.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

Why would I care whether the s22 wins phone of the year as long as I love mine?

I think the days of needing validations from others on my phone choices for me, are over. I'm pretty much over most tech publications anyway, as they are mostly marketing shills for their OEM of choice anyway. Including the pretty much broken Android Central.

Apple fans don't care, they're upgrading regardless. I feel the same.

I think if anything, Samsung's ego would be hurt by being left off many end of the year lists, as that will be yet another hit to their less than stellar sales. But that just means hopefully we'll benefit from more care taken with the s23.

 

[Linda McDonald]

I really had high hopes that this was going to make at least a few reviewer's lists for top phone of the year. Not sure what award it will receive given this scandal. LOL. Go back with me perhaps some of you were like me when you first heard about Samsung's throttling through the Game Optimizer app. When I first got the notification to turn on the Game Optimizing app I was skeptical. Why do I need an app to optimize my games? I thought they were optimizing searching for games by putting them all in one place making it easier for me to find them even though I was already putting them in a game folder. I did like seeing my stats and later some of the instant play games were kind of a novelty and while I never really got what the point was it became an easy habit to fall into.

Fast forward, 2022 and Game Optimizer is revealed to be a throttling app. Not only suppressing game performance but also suppressing regular apps that might push the limits. When I first head about this I wasn't overly concerned. The device still did everything I wanted it to do and did it without any hitches or hiccups. And if it was doing it to preserve some battery, something we've all been concerned about at one time or another, no harm no foul, right? Then following closely on the heels of that epiphany all of the bad that started showing up. Bans from benchmark apps and sites, rumors that sales were taking a hit due to this and a rushed patch, which was supposed to give us back control but really didn't give the control promised.

I'm not saying that I regret my purchase, I really wanted the built in S-Pen and the other upgrades, although few from the S21, that came with this new device. What about you? Have these revelations changed your opinion about your purchase? If you'd known about this prior to buying would you have passed on this device? Does this make you trust Samsung any less and what will that mean for your relationship with them moving forward?

I told myself that if I came on this forum today and there was ONE negative post about the s22u, I would cancel my order. So, as much as I would like to believe in this great phone, I think I'm going to cancel and hold on to my Note 20. Or my Note 10+? I need some real honest feedback. Never been so confused about a phone!

 

[donm527]

@Linda My opinion coming from a N20U owner that doesn't have an S22U, if you buy a S22U, I think you will find the S22U will perform no less than the N20U in any way but should better in some... battery and camera and fingerprint sensor. The other stuff don't know if it will be night and day noticeable like brightness for you but it won't be worse. The throttling... I doubt you would notice any performance difference if it was throttling. Downside... A hair thicker and a little heavier, no more MST or SD-Card expansion if it matters to you.

My recommendation is that I would get the upgraded 12GB model and not the base 8GB model even though no one has posted any noticeable difference. But if you hold on to your phone for the 4 years of OS updates, I would prefer it have the higher RAM to make sure the phone will handle the updates as the phone gets older. The Note20 Ultra comes with 12GB. I think it's lame of them being cheap by going 8GB in a phone 2 years older than the previous Note.

About 2-3+ months after release we haven't heard of any major defects in the phone... except for the video issue on Exynos models so I think it should be a solid phone.

When I got the BSOD (black screen of death) on my Note 20 Ultra and having to take it to UBreakIFix to get the screen replaced and waiting a month for it, I was pretty much preparing to order the S22U through my AT&T connection. So I had no worries about if the S22U would be a good phone and I really wanted the updated cameras.

But got my N20U back after and basically got a new screen with a factory screen protector!, new frame and battery since a screen replacement comes as one whole component and even new back glass since they scratched up my original (UBreakIFix sucked but I made them pay for their incompetence lol), the phone is looking and running so good as much as I want the new camera, I really don't feel it now even if it costs me a couple of hundred out of pocket to do so. I think the N20U holds it own too in looks with the Mystic White and polished sides and like that it's a tad lighter and thinner. So I figure it's already April and end of year will come soon enough and talk about the S23 Ultra and I can probably wait now for that.

The N20U rocks. Flossy is right... if you have an N20U and having no problems then IMO there is no reason to upgrade... Only if you want to which is fine and fun for many. If you have no issues with your N20U and just wanna upgrade for the heck of it, you shouldn't have any downside if you do.

 

[VidJunky]

I don't want anyone to think I'm saying this isn't a good phone. I have zero complaints so far. I've just been seeing a lot of mention of this with the latest saying that even the patch doesn't really stop the throttling. Again it does everything I need without any problems. What I wanted to know is does this information change your mind about the device? Has any of this caused you pause or second thoughts?

When I had the S10+ and the scandal came out about the fingerprint reader opening for any finger with certain screen protectors, that one affected me when the biometric feature was turned off for all my financial apps. Even after the patch most of them would not restore fingerprint unlock. That affected me, upset me a little sand frankly seemed hard for me to believe when the FPR barely worked for me before the update. Lol. This one, unless you're a super power user, isn't even really that bad. I mean it saves battery and keeps my phone healthy, oh no. Hahaha. But these are my feelings. How do you feel?

 

[nuangel2]

To each their own. I have a note 20 ultra that's 6months old. Working well. But I wanted the S22 ultra and I got it. I don't need others to approve or for it to be so called best phone. I enjoy my note 20 and I enjoy my ultra. No issues or concerns here. I always have two phones. The fold and flip don't interest me. I will never get iPhone. I like Samsung. All phones have different options or some issues. I have seen people here complain pixel 6 is glitchy.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It doesn't bother me in the least what any reviewer says. I don't care about games, nor do I have any on my phone.

It's working great for me, with no issues with lag. The battery life is better than what I had on my S10+ when it was new. I wanted a big screen device with an S Pen, which is exactly what I got. To me it's the best phone I've had so far.

 

[sweetypie31]

It doesn't bother me or change my perception of the phone. It's working as I need it to and that's all I care about. I might feel differently if this had a negative affect on how my phone works, but it hasn't so I'm good.

 

[Linda McDonald]

Well, as fate would have it... my Samsung order has shipped!
I'll keep my Note 10+ as a back up. And maybe it will all be okay.

 

[GrooveRite]

I had N20U. Traded that sucker for my new S22U. No complaints at all. FPS is def better on S22U.

 

[jeetu4444]

I have both Note 20 ultra and S22 ultra...love both of them....
Advantage for S22 ultra better battery life...
Very very good screen
Fps is way better
Camera is better
Display has less curve than Note 20 U
Advantage Note 20U
Lighter in weight
SD card support

It's a individuals choice to upgrade or not
Even I at 1st was disappointed with SD card missing..but I have survived with windows phone and huawei mate 20 pro which had no SD card support
So I brought 512 gb S22 ultra

 

[anon(19759)]

I wouldn't call it a scandal unless at some prior point they made a statement that they don't. General users aren't interested to know what's going on under the hood. My phone has speed to spare, so a little throttling for battery's sake is fine with me.

 

[fred134134]

I wouldn't call it a scandal unless at some prior point they made a statement that they don't. General users aren't interested to know what's going on under the hood. My phone has speed to spare, so a little throttling for battery's sake is fine with me.

It's also because of heat. Samsung should have been clearer in this but this isn't a big deal.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It's also because of heat. Samsung should have been clearer in this but this isn't a big deal.

I haven't experienced any heat issues, even when streaming video for a long time (2 h or more).

 

[billykac]

Well, as fate would have it... my Samsung order has shipped!������������������
I'll keep my Note 10+ as a back up. And maybe it will all be okay.

As a previous poster said, don't let what you read here (or on Reddit) be the main driver for your decisions. If I did, I never would have gotten my S22+, what with all the endless reports of crappy battery, poor/throttled performance, heat issues, laggy camera, blah, blah.

My S22+ has none of these issues and it's far superior to my excellent S10+ in every respect. It's exceptional!

Sure, variables with Samsung's new tech and QC may play a role in some ways, for some owners, but I'd suggest not for the vast majority of us. As said countless times on forums, it's far more often how people set-up and use their phones - not to mention their willingness to endlessly post about their issues - that get all the oxygen in the room.

My bet is that your new phone will be awesome!
Enjoy it!!

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

What I wanted to know is does this information change your mind about the device? Has any of this caused you pause or second thoughts?

Nope. Samsung could continue throttling performance and I wouldn't have an issue with it. The S22U is faster than my previous phone (Pixel 6 Pro), doesn't heat up and drain battery, I can stay connected on phone calls without dropouts, Bluetooth doesn't dropout while connected to my car, and all of this while the phone is throttling? Then by all means, continue throttling.

I don't play games on my phones, so maybe that's why I couldn't care less about this throttling thing.

 

[MoreDef]

The S20 Ultra taught me a lesson about tech that has stuck with me ever since, which is that there is ZERO benefit to day one tech besides one-upsmanship. There is literally no NEED to buy anything day one because 99.9% of the time, the folks who are interested in it don't NEED the upgrade, but rather are enthusiasts who enjoy exploring and playing with new tech. There's nothing wrong with wanting new tech, but more often than not, early adopters are only early adopters of bugs and end up being beta testers by extension. I can't think of a single piece of tech that was perfect day one in this era of patches and updates.

Since my first foray into day one tech, I've since been content to wait a few months, as doing so inevitably does 3 things:
1) lowers the cost
2) exposes and fixes bugs
3) refines the experience to what it should have been on release

 

[danhartman26]

The S20 Ultra taught me a lesson about tech that has stuck with me ever since, which is that there is ZERO benefit to day one tech besides one-upsmanship. There is literally no NEED to buy anything day one because 99.9% of the time, the folks who are interested in it don't NEED the upgrade, but rather are enthusiasts who enjoy exploring and playing with new tech. There's nothing wrong with wanting new tech, but more often than not, early adopters are only early adopters of bugs and end up being beta testers by extension. I can't think of a single piece of tech that was perfect day one in this era of patches and updates.

Since my first foray into day one tech, I've since been content to wait a few months, as doing so inevitably does 3 things:
1) lowers the cost
2) exposes and fixes bugs
3) refines the experience to what it should have been on release

Agree to disagree...
1. With the preorder I get the best price I'm likely to get for a pretty long stretch
2. I get the best trade in value for my old device from Samsung
3. With the credits Samsung throws in I get a couple hundred dollars in goodies
4. With the S22 Ultra I got a free memory upgrade (or you can think of it as another $100 off)

So while waiting a few months might be a good route for some, I feel like the preorder gets me the best deal I am going to get.

 

[MoreDef]

Those are all valid, and if I had trade-ins in mind, I would agree with you 100%. That's how they got me to trade my Note 9 in for the S20 Ultra. I got a great credit, plus like $200 in Samsung credit, which I spent on a Chromebook 4+.

But without trade-ins, straight up, adopting tech day one is a terrible idea.