A rant: My problem with Samsung

[dlalonde]

My first ever smartphone was Samsung Galaxy Ace. I was amazed at the colors on the screen for such a cheap phone. I recently flashed its stock ROM again just for fun and it reminded me how I used to love the device... until I didn't. See it was my first time also experiencing OEM software and it was rapidly outdated. I ended up getting CyanogenMod as well as another brand of custom ROM that was Ice Cream Sandwich modded to work for the Ace. But Samsung wasn't giving new versions anymore. At the time I thought it was because it was a budget phone. But coming from an iPod Touch right before I was a bit disappointed.

Then I had a Windows Phone phase until Lollipop when I got a Galaxy S4. The new OS was released in October of 2014 and my S4 got it in April of 2015. Fair enough, Samsung had to add their things. But that was the last version of Android that this device was going to receive. So one major version... for a premium phone. That was really disappointing.

Then I had a Moto X Play. At the beginning, Motorola was still owned by Google so I got Marshmallow 3 months after its release which for an OEM was pretty good. Then it was sold to Lenovo and, lo and behold, it's not even on Nougat yet...

I bought the S7 at the beginning of the year and it received Nougat about 3 weeks after my purchase. That was 6 months after the release of Nougat, which is something I expect from OEMs and especially Samsung given its software. But a week later they were announcing the S8 and that was the end of things for the S7. Of course, they're still pushing out security updates. But the S7 doesn't have either the Samsung Experience nor the latest OEM apps. The email client was no longer compatible, Samsung Members was no longer working (over several months) and so on. Of course, the S8 will get Oreo before the S7 like the S7 got Nougat before the S6. This is the way it goes.

And here lies the problem.

Samsung devices are high end phones with high end prices. The software is now amazing, the hardware has always been amazing and the prices follow suit. Then Samsung gets to the next device a year later and you end up missing out on new features, both from Android or Samsung, and the device gets abandonned (again I'm not talking about security patches which Samsung got better at this year).

So basically you have a very expensive phone on which you can't even appreciate current features after a year. Not because the hardware is not strong enough as Samsung always provides the utmost specs.

Samsung also tries to emulate the iPhone experience on its software. But iPhones get new versions of iOS for 2 years minimum, usually more, on the day of its release.

That's why I moved away from Samsung. I have the Google Pixel right now because I love stock Android and I want quick and regular updates and, more importantly, the latest versions of Android. But I'm not an Android purist. When an OEM puts something more, I can enjoy it and I have thouroughly enjoyed my S7 and could have gotten an S8 instead of going for the Pixel. But I'm not paying $1,000 for a phone that will be basically abandonned in a year (or less than a year if we believe the rumours that the S9 might come out in January).

If OEMs stuck to their devices for at least 2 years, I would enjoy them more. That's not just Samsung doing that, as I've said in my example with Lenovo/Moto. But the difference is Samsung is charging really big money for their devices and are putting top notch hardware in there. After a year it basically becomes amazing hardware with old software. It is unacceptable for them to move on to their latest device a year later at that price.

With Lenovo selling their Z2 lines at such high prices, I have big expectations for their software updates too. If they act like they did with the Moto X Play, it will be as unacceptable as far as I'm concerned.

Also, I know it's complicated for Samsung to make their version of Android. That's not the user's problem nor is it anyone else's fault other than Samsung who decided to add all those functions and layers. They should stick to it for at least two years.

That's my problem with Samsung. It's a shame because the S8 is amazing. But in less than a year it will be forgotten about and the S9 will be the next best thing. So Samsung is not getting my money.

I'm rocking Oreo and will be on P in a year. The S8 will not. And for shame.

 

[anon(10092459)]

I get what you're saying, but let's take a step back a bit. Samsung has carried Android to dominance. That partnership, without any doubt, has put them both in the top position. Samsung is number 1 in global phone market share, while Android is number one OS on all platforms, surpassing MS earlier this year, in the world. While their arrangement might be one of convenience, I don't believe either of them get there without the other.

 

[dlalonde]

I get what you're saying, but let's take a step back a bit. Samsung has carried Android to dominance. That partnership, without any doubt, has put them both in the top position. Samsung is number 1 in global phone market share, while Android is number one OS on all platforms, surpassing MS earlier this year, in the world. While their arrangement might be one of convenience, I don't believe either of them get there without the other.

Oh of course but I'm only talking from a consumer stand point. That's the kind of thing that a consumer doesn't care about.

But I do find it odd that we accept that, for such a steep price, a device won't have the latest software and features anymore more or less than a year after the purchase. If Microsoft for example decided that all of last year's PC's weren't eligible for the next Creators Update, there would be major uproar. Yet some PC's are actually cheaper than some high end mobile phones like the Galaxy S and Note lines.

 

[anon(10092459)]

Oh of course but I'm only talking from a consumer stand point. That's the kind of thing that a consumer doesn't care about.

But I do find it odd that we accept that, for such a steep price, a device won't have the latest software and features anymore more or less than a year after the purchase. If Microsoft for example decided that all of last year's PC's weren't eligible for the next Creators Update, there would be major uproar. Yet some PC's are actually cheaper than some high end mobile phones like the Galaxy S and Note lines.

Indeed... Perhaps one day Google will take the MS approach. Release the new operating system and allow the consumer to decide to purchase it directly from them as the individual sees fit. You'd buy the software update from Google, they send you an access key and, as long as your hardware has the specs for it, your an OTA away from the most current version if that's what you choose.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Every Samsung flagship gets software updates for 2 years, security for 3. It's the same as most others, and the same for the Google Pixel.

Samsung also usually has all of their apps available in their app store, instead of in the Google Play Store, and you can upgrade to new versions from there.

I've had the S3, S7, Note 2, N3, N4, N5....also worked at Verizon for 4 years so it was sort of my job to pay attention to software updates and how they changed a phone for every OEM Verizon carried.

 

[dlalonde]

Every Samsung flagship gets software updates for 2 years, security for 3. It's the same as most others, and the same for the Google Pixel.

Samsung also usually has all of their apps available in their app store, instead of in the Google Play Store, and you can upgrade to new versions from there.

I've had the S3, S7, Note 2, N3, N4, N5....also worked at Verizon for 4 years so it was sort of my job to pay attention to software updates and how they changed a phone for every OEM Verizon carried.

That's true in theory but it's not as cut and dry in practice. Both the S7 and S8 are still on 7.0. The latest Android version before Oreo was 7.1.2. Security updates don't come monthly but rather once in a while.

Following the Samsung's update cycle, the S8 will get Oreo around March and the S7 around May/June. Android P will already be available in beta then and will be released by Google about 2-3 months later and the cycle will start again with the S9 and S8. The S7 will be abandonned by then.

The S7 didn't get most of the latest apps from Samsung after the S8 between March and July, either through the Play Store or their own app store. I've been using the Pixel since July so I don't know if they've been updated since. The Samsung experience has yet to be ported to the S7 which means that, if you want the latest from Samsung, you have to get the S8 or hope it will come with Oreo.

Having an OEM phone updated with the latest version doesn't just mean the latest Android version but also OEM software and apps.

 

[LeoRex]

I'm similarly jaded... I cut my smartphone teeth on a couple of Samsung products and my frustration with them lead me to custom ROMs, which lead to the Nexus line. There, I knew that the phone would not get left behind.. as long as the phone's hardware supported a new feature in Android, I'd see it. I wouldn't get stuck with an older UX when the next generation dropped.

At the moment, I'm using a G6... Why? Here's my saga.

Two years ago, I made the best choice I've ever made picking a phone... And the worst. The best choice I ever made was getting a 6P. The worst choice? NOT getting one for my wife.

Since then she's bounced from a G4 - that sometimes wouldn't focus while taking overworked pictures, never got updated and would often spit and cough it's way though it's tasks.

- then to an S7 - which had horrible battery life, would fail to save pictures at times and other times take black pictures that required a reboot to clear

- then to a Note 7

- Then on to a S7 Edge, which I assumed would not have the same issues as the S7 ... But that only solved the battery issues... and she would lodge constant complaints that started with 'Why the fudge did my phone just do something stupid?'

And dozens of lost pics, a few months, and a wife who now held me personally responsible for Samsung's software ineptitude later, on to a G6... Which, it turns out, can't take a decent pic in anything other than bright light.

So earlier this year I switched SIMs and let her use my 6P while I figured things out... I figured she could roll with that while I waited for the right time to replace. And you know what happened?

Nothing... No complaints... No lost pics... No exasperated 'WTF did my phone just do' complaints. That near two year old phone stepped up and showed the others how it's done. And it will continue to do that until I replace both it and the G6 with two new Pixel 2 XLs in a couple of months. So they can keep their S8s, their V30s and their Note 8s... I'll stick with the phone that I know will get it done.

 

[J Dubbs]

So I guess simply put Samsung sucks?
I can agree with that ;-)

 

[tuckertje01]

I started with S2 and kept it for 3 years, then had S5 for another 3 years, and now with S8+ which hopefully will also last 3 years (or until I win the lottery). I've never experienced any problems with my Samsung devices and after 3 years they still looked brand new, not a single scratch on them (always in tpu back cover). My husband went from Ace to Ace2, then to Ace3 and on to S5 mini (for reasons I don't understand he likes small phones). Same experience as me. So we really like Samsung and stay with it.

 

[dlalonde]

I'm similarly jaded... I cut my smartphone teeth on a couple of Samsung products and my frustration with them lead me to custom ROMs, which lead to the Nexus line. There, I knew that the phone would not get left behind.. as long as the phone's hardware supported a new feature in Android, I'd see it. I wouldn't get stuck with an older UX when the next generation dropped.

At the moment, I'm using a G6... Why? Here's my saga.

Two years ago, I made the best choice I've ever made picking a phone... And the worst. The best choice I ever made was getting a 6P. The worst choice? NOT getting one for my wife.

Since then she's bounced from a G4 - that sometimes wouldn't focus while taking overworked pictures, never got updated and would often spit and cough it's way though it's tasks.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/f78334d900ab8d8f6fab94f7f7371288.gif

- then to an S7 - which had horrible battery life, would fail to save pictures at times and other times take black pictures that required a reboot to clear

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/4f68e3f279ea5ed421c822ea4a5c37bc.gif

- then to a Note 7

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/6531e4dc1e2bcd3ae0d12b27b736864a.gif

- Then on to a S7 Edge, which I assumed would not have the same issues as the S7 ... But that only solved the battery issues... and she would lodge constant complaints that started with 'Why the fudge did my phone just do something stupid?'

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/930e64b64b710a9436ab8c66cb5dc907.gif

And dozens of lost pics, a few months, and a wife who now held me personally responsible for Samsung's software ineptitude later, on to a G6... Which, it turns out, can't take a decent pic in anything other than bright light.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/3d639525e80f8f365983116ae15d4ae8.gif

So earlier this year I switched SIMs and let her use my 6P while I figured things out... I figured she could roll with that while I waited for the right time to replace. And you know what happened?

Nothing... No complaints... No lost pics... No exasperated 'WTF did my phone just do' complaints. That near two year old phone stepped up and showed the others how it's done. And it will continue to do that until I replace both it and the G6 with two new Pixel 2 XLs in a couple of months. So they can keep their S8s, their V30s and their Note 8s... I'll stick with the phone that I know will get it done.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/2d47057cc759bb67ca77a8b238bdab2a.gif

That is a brilliant post! I absolutely agree with everything. I've never had those issues with my S7 mind you but still. See I almost fell for the S8 this week (which is ironic because I wrote this rant some days ago) because I do miss some of the features that Samsung offers. But everytime I fall for Samsung I remember what a money pit the phones are and, like you said, you end up going back to stock through custom ROMs. The Pixel being my first Google phone, now I'm afraid that, once the Pixel 2 comes out, I'll have to wait a lot longer to get those updates for 8.1 and so on.

So I guess simply put Samsung sucks?
I can agree with that ;-)

Not at all, on the contrary, they have absolutely awesome phones. They just turn their backs on them too quickly. With that price, that shouldn't be the case. The examples in @LeoRex's post would have all been fixable via software updates. But Samsung was too busy getting the S8 ready. Right now, they're already getting ready for the S9 and the S8 will be abandonned sooner than later.

I started with S2 and kept it for 3 years, then had S5 for another 3 years, and now with S8+ which hopefully will also last 3 years (or until I win the lottery). I've never experienced any problems with my Samsung devices and after 3 years they still looked brand new, not a single scratch on them (always in tpu back cover). My husband went from Ace to Ace2, then to Ace3 and on to S5 mini (for reasons I don't understand he likes small phones). Same experience as me. So we really like Samsung and stay with it.

You bring me to another point. I think you're the kind of customer that Samsung aims at. I'm a bit of a nerd and like to have the very latest software. But I do get the feeling that most people don't really care for that and that's why Samsung gets away with it and why the Pixel is such has such a niched customer base. I could be wrong though.

That being said, when you've got issues with a phone like in @LeoRex's examples and the manufacturer has already turned its back on it and you no longer get updates, that also creates big frustrations, especially with high end phone that you've paid high end prices. I didn't mind my Ace being abandonned, it was a really cheap phone. But the S and Note lines, those should be maintained for at least 2 years (not just security updates but new features by both Google and Samsung).

 

[Golfdriver97]

I think my biggest peeve with Samsung is this: Take a PC...you can remove almost everything to the point of it breaking (I think I have at some point). But conversely, let's try and remove, say Samsung's calendar. Nope, sorry. How about Facebook? Nope, not that either. Instagram? Nope.

I can understand blacklisting apps that are needed. For example, com.android.sms (I made one up. It probably isn't there) might confuse someone, but it's there for a reason and shouldn't be removed. But there is a lot, and I mean a lot, of garbage that shouldn't be there period. DT Ignite, for example. I can understand pre-loading FB and Instagram, due to the high probability of someone loading it anyway. I'm the oddball that doesn't want it. But that shouldn't preclude me from removing it.

 

[Golfdriver97]

That near two year old phone stepped up and showed the others how it's done.

First, you got a like for the use of the gifs....lol

Second, my mom had to upgrade a couple months ago. I couldn't convince her to do a Pixel payment plan. She was adamant about not going above a certain price threshold. I managed to steer her away from that one (which was sub $300). I, with great resignation, suggested the S7. It was a little cheaper, and at least somewhat a flagship device. The downside is, I kind of have a lingering doubt in the back of my head that once I can get her phone updated, she will see a couple monthly patches and that's it.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Perhaps one day Google will take the MS approach.

They have made it easier with I think 6.0 and up to update. The vendor partition is what helps with that.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I'm rocking Oreo and will be on P in a year. The S8 will not. And for shame.

I think what you have going here is a pretty good thread. It has some good conversation.

Samsung could do some improving on the update path. Carriers should get their grubby hands out of it though. If my mom wasn't on my plan, I would have ditched AT&T a while ago.

Edit: I had mentioned this was in the trending list, and it's not. I thought I got to this thread from there.

 

[chanchan05]

Hmm. Maybe it's just me not being in the US where updates are at the mercy of carriers for updates as I get mine monthly (albeit 2-3weeks late compared to Google), and all my flagship devices did get their updates for 2 years (OG Galaxy S, Note 2, Tab P6200).

However you are sorely mistaken with your experience with the S4. That model was released to the market on April 2013. By the time you got it in October 2014, not only was it already not the flagship anymore because the S5 was already existing, it had already received one major update in the form of Jellybean to Kitkat. The update to Lollipop was already the second major OS update it received.

With regard to the update to 7.1, as far as I am reading, those features it puts are either Pixel specific or already exists on Samsung firmware. As per the change log:
1. Night light - blue light filter is already in Samsung phones before 7.1
2. Display performance updates - first Samsung uses different panels, and already has the one of the best if not the best displays out there.
3. Moves - this puts double tap hardware button to camera, flip camera view bet front and back, lift to check phone. All these already exist on the Samsungs 2 years before 7.1.2
4. Daydream VR compatibility - Samsung obviously isn't interested because it already has its own VR.
5. Storage Manager - present in Samsung already.

Those are the points of the 7.1 update which is in all essence just an update to add 2 year old Samsung features to non Samsung phones. As such I am perfectly fine with skipping 7.1 and going straight to 8.0. Won't be the first time Samsung skips, since my Tab P6200 skipped ICS to go Jellybean (it went from Honeycomb)

 

[dlalonde]

I think my biggest peeve with Samsung is this: Take a PC...you can remove almost everything to the point of it breaking (I think I have at some point). But conversely, let's try and remove, say Samsung's calendar. Nope, sorry. How about Facebook? Nope, not that either. Instagram? Nope.

I can understand blacklisting apps that are needed. For example, com.android.sms (I made one up. It probably isn't there) might confuse someone, but it's there for a reason and shouldn't be removed. But there is a lot, and I mean a lot, of garbage that shouldn't be there period. DT Ignite, for example. I can understand pre-loading FB and Instagram, due to the high probability of someone loading it anyway. I'm the oddball that doesn't want it. But that shouldn't preclude me from removing it.

I know that's very annoying. And it happens so often that I was actually surprised at how you can uninstall/deactivate absolutely everything on a Pixel. Don't want Gmail? Deactivate. Don't want Maps? Uninstall it. Plain and simple. Giving the choice to the buyer, especially, I know I'm hitting hard on that nail but I feel it's important, for such a steep price! We should have the freedom to do what we please with the device, whether it's Samsung or Apple or whoever. Blacklisting apps should not be in regular people's vocabulary.

First, you got a like for the use of the gifs....lol

Second, my mom had to upgrade a couple months ago. I couldn't convince her to do a Pixel payment plan. She was adamant about not going above a certain price threshold. I managed to steer her away from that one (which was sub $300). I, with great resignation, suggested the S7. It was a little cheaper, and at least somewhat a flagship device. The downside is, I kind of have a lingering doubt in the back of my head that once I can get her phone updated, she will see a couple monthly patches and that's it.

Those gifs made his post more interesting, turns off the TLDR reflex we have in this digital universe.

For your mom's S7, looking at Samsung's track record, I'm pretty sure that will happen. I wouldn't hold my breath for Oreo for example. Again, for shame.

They have made it easier with I think 6.0 and up to update. The vendor partition is what helps with that.

And I'm hoping Project Treble helps in that respect for 8.0 and up.

I think what you have going here is a pretty good thread. It has some good conversation.

Samsung could do some improving on the update path. Carriers should get their grubby hands out of it though. If my mom wasn't on my plan, I would have ditched AT&T a while ago.

Edit: I had mentioned this was in the trending list, and it's not. I thought I got to this thread from there.

Thanks that's what I was hoping for!

Samsung should up their game for updates. Otherwise it becomes they become a very expensive flash in the pan where everyone brags about how amazing it is but in every day life, while reviewers are receiving the next big thing for free (and I know this sounds bitter but don't take it this way) the people who actually pay for their devices end up with an expensive abandonned brick after only a year. Not that it doesn't work anymore mind you, just that it's outdated. Like I said if Microsoft were to say that all of last year's PC's weren't compatible with the latest Windows version, I get a feeling Linux would start getting more traction. Yet many PCs cost less than a Samsung device. That's an important thing to realize and remember.

Hmm. Maybe it's just me not being in the US where updates are at the mercy of carriers for updates as I get mine monthly (albeit 2-3weeks late compared to Google), and all my flagship devices did get their updates for 2 years (OG Galaxy S, Note 2, Tab P6200).

In Canada we're also at the mercy of carriers. We had to wait until Verizon, which is a US company that doesn't have a Canadian branch, approved Oreo to get it on all carriers, which is ridiculous.

However you are sorely mistaken with your experience with the S4. That model was released to the market on April 2013. By the time you got it in October 2014, not only was it already not the flagship anymore because the S5 was already existing, it had already received one major update in the form of Jellybean to Kitkat. The update to Lollipop was already the second major OS update it received.

You're absolutely right BUT considering Jellybean's last version was 4.3.1 and KitKat 4.4.4, is it really a major update? Maybe that's more of a philosophical question (point updates vs major updates).

Now that being said, the fact that, by october 2014 the S5 was the flagship and the S4 wasn't anymore is kind of my point. A little over a year and the new device is getting all of the attention. Although I don't want to start an iPhone vs Android thing, a year after the last iPhone, the new iPhone is still getting timely updates even if the device changed a lot. Given its price point, Samsung devices should have the same

With regard to the update to 7.1, as far as I am reading, those features it puts are either Pixel specific or already exists on Samsung firmware. As per the change log:
1. Night light - blue light filter is already in Samsung phones before 7.1
2. Display performance updates - first Samsung uses different panels, and already has the one of the best if not the best displays out there.
3. Moves - this puts double tap hardware button to camera, flip camera view bet front and back, lift to check phone. All these already exist on the Samsungs 2 years before 7.1.2
4. Daydream VR compatibility - Samsung obviously isn't interested because it already has its own VR.
5. Storage Manager - present in Samsung already.

Those are the points of the 7.1 update which is in all essence just an update to add 2 year old Samsung features to non Samsung phones. As such I am perfectly fine with skipping 7.1 and going straight to 8.0. Won't be the first time Samsung skips, since my Tab P6200 skipped ICS to go Jellybean (it went from Honeycomb)

I think you might be right here. It may just be a question of impression. Still though I don't have much hope for S7 users to get Oreo.

 

[chanchan05]

).
Now that being said, the fact that, by october 2014 the S5 was the flagship and the S4 wasn't anymore is kind of my point. A little over a year and the new device is getting all of the attention. Although I don't want to start an iPhone vs Android thing, a year after the last iPhone, the new iPhone is still getting timely updates even if the device changed a lot. Given its price point, Samsung devices should have the same

I don't know when you started following phones, but I've been actually a Mobile Guru at the Nokia Support Forums (user based like this but with actual employees lurking) back since 2006, and Nokia has beeb releasing a new flagship every 6mos since 2005ish. In 2007 alone they released 3 N9x phones. This today is just a continuing thread of new flagships every 6mos. And as of speaking, Samsung flagships still get 2 year updates and security updates for at least 3 years. The S5 is still getting security updates.

Further, it is actually unfair to compare Apple's update pattern when compared to Samsung for a few reasons.
1. Apple's overhead per device is bigger than Samsung's. Part of the overhead for each device sold is for costs of future OS updates. This can best be seen in the Samsung J series where exceptionally good selling ones with decent specs (usually J7 or J5 line) get updates, while others don't.
2. Unlike Apple who builds the entire OS themselves, they don't, and simply add stuff on top of Android. Apple has the capability to custom build iOS for each device wherein they can limit performance or features that device receives, whether or not that device has possibly capable hardware. This is the source of that nasty rumor about planned obsolecense. Apple phones do slow down after certain updates simply because the hardware isn't fully capable.
Samsung's move in these cases were just to not send the update. For example, US Galaxy S3's got the Lollipop update because it had 2GB RAM. International S3's didn't because it had 1GB RAM. That was their reason. The international S3 couldn't handle Android + TouchWiz in a fashion that they found acceptable. Basically instead of paring down TouchWiz or sending an update that would remove certain features to their skin which users may actually be using, they don't send it out at all.
Apple phones on the other hand don't have anything on top of the actual OS they built which they have to worry about in updates, so they don't need to worry about breaking old features. They just don't send some of the new features. This is why growth of the Pixel phone line is important, because it's the only one in the Android world which has the capability to match Apple in terms of software updates.

)
I think you might be right here. It may just be a question of impression. Still though I don't have much hope for S7 users to get Oreo.

Considering that the CPU of the S7 (Exynos version) can run around those of the Snapdragon trio (S7 North America version, LG G5, HTC 10), I'm pretty sure it will get the update. Here in Asia we typically get the updates 3-4mos after Google releases it.

 

[dlalonde]

I don't know when you started following phones, but I've been actually a Mobile Guru at the Nokia Support Forums (user based like this but with actual employees lurking) back since 2006, and Nokia has beeb releasing a new flagship every 6mos since 2005ish. In 2007 alone they released 3 N9x phones. This today is just a continuing thread of new flagships every 6mos. And as of speaking, Samsung flagships still get 2 year updates and security updates for at least 3 years. The S5 is still getting security updates.

I started in 2012 approximately. I didn't know the S5 was still getting security updates. Thanks for the info!

Further, it is actually unfair to compare Apple's update pattern when compared to Samsung for a few reasons.
1. Apple's overhead per device is bigger than Samsung's. Part of the overhead for each device sold is for costs of future OS updates. This can best be seen in the Samsung J series where exceptionally good selling ones with decent specs (usually J7 or J5 line) get updates, while others don't.
2. Unlike Apple who builds the entire OS themselves, they don't, and simply add stuff on top of Android. Apple has the capability to custom build iOS for each device wherein they can limit performance or features that device receives, whether or not that device has possibly capable hardware. This is the source of that nasty rumor about planned obsolecense. Apple phones do slow down after certain updates simply because the hardware isn't fully capable.
Samsung's move in these cases were just to not send the update. For example, US Galaxy S3's got the Lollipop update because it had 2GB RAM. International S3's didn't because it had 1GB RAM. That was their reason. The international S3 couldn't handle Android + TouchWiz in a fashion that they found acceptable. Basically instead of paring down TouchWiz or sending an update that would remove certain features to their skin which users may actually be using, they don't send it out at all.
Apple phones on the other hand don't have anything on top of the actual OS they built which they have to worry about in updates, so they don't need to worry about breaking old features. They just don't send some of the new features. This is why growth of the Pixel phone line is important, because it's the only one in the Android world which has the capability to match Apple in terms of software updates.

From a consumer stand point it's not unfair at all. Apple's overhead vs Samsung's overhead is none of our concern nor does it matter who built the OS. When Samsung decided to play in Apple's courtyard pricewise, they also decided to automatically be compared for their respective pros and cons. That's a business decision from Samsung and they have to live with the consequences.

Considering that the CPU of the S7 (Exynos version) can run around those of the Snapdragon trio (S7 North America version, LG G5, HTC 10), I'm pretty sure it will get the update. Here in Asia we typically get the updates 3-4mos after Google releases it.

Even after 2 years? The S7 came with Marshmallow and got Nougat 6 months after it came out (which seems to be the norm at Samsung in North America anyway). You think that within 6 months the S7 will get Oreo?

 

[chanchan05]

From a consumer stand point it's not unfair at all. Apple's overhead vs Samsung's overhead is none of our concern nor does it matter who built the OS. When Samsung decided to play in Apple's courtyard pricewise, they also decided to automatically be compared for their respective pros and cons. That's a business decision from Samsung and they have to live with the consequences.

Apple is going to be more expensive still. The new iPhone is rumored to go for 1200USD compared to 950USD of the Note8.
Honestly I don't mind the 2 year updates limit. That's just how tech flies fast. I'd rather have a phone with last year's OS doing everything I need and still parched with security, than a device running on the latest OS but sluggish as F.

Even after 2 years? The S7 came with Marshmallow and got Nougat 6 months after it came out (which seems to be the norm at Samsung in North America anyway). You think that within 6 months the S7 will get Oreo?

The expected lifetime for Samsung updates based ln their history for the last 8 years is that they get the major updates released within 2 years of their market debut. The S7 got released 2016 April. Hence its second birthday is April 2018. Oreo was released by Google within that time frame. Hence the international units will surely get the update. The only question is whether your carriers will approve yours.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Had an S7 Edge since late last year, I ofte get updates for all the Samsung apps incl. Video Player and Music Player.

Samsung Memebers works just fine for me, and having used and pre-ordered a Note8 I do not see any big changes in UI from my S7 Edge.

Literally, my S7 Edge looks identical to my colleagues S8+.

I am confused as to what the issue is here,lol.

I am ob an Exynos S7 Edge, BTW.

and no, I don't have pictures disappearing and all that, sounds like a corrupt card to me there.

Anyway all the best with whatever you pick.