Android security updates?

[MrDoh]

My new S9 (that I paid full price for) says that it has the Feb. 1 security updates. That means that it is two months behind, no March 1 or April 1 updates yet. I'm thinking about unlocking my phone from T-Mobile, and seeing if I get more timely updates directly from Samsung.

Anyone know if the Android security updates for an unlocked Samsung S9 would come directly from Samsung? Or would they still have to come (or not *smile*) through T-Mobile, since that's where I'm using my phone currently?

Just curious if unlocking my phone would help my situation? If I could get updates directly from Samsung, that seems like it would be better than waiting on the T-Mobile bottleneck.

As it is, I can't unlock my phone for another couple of weeks. You need 40 days on T-Mobile according to their web site, before you can unlock). But I'd like to hear if unlocking it would allow me to get security updates directly from Samsung.

 

[Theot]

My new S9 (that I paid full price for) says that it has the Feb. 1 security updates. That means that it is two months behind, no March 1 or April 1 updates yet. I'm thinking about unlocking my phone from T-Mobile, and seeing if I get more timely updates directly from Samsung.

Anyone know if the Android security updates for an unlocked Samsung S9 would come directly from Samsung? Or would they still have to come (or not *smile*) through T-Mobile, since that's where I'm using my phone currently?

Just curious if unlocking my phone would help my situation? If I could get updates directly from Samsung, that seems like it would be better than waiting on the T-Mobile bottleneck.

As it is, I can't unlock my phone for another couple of weeks. You need 40 days on T-Mobile according to their web site, before you can unlock). But I'd like to hear if unlocking it would allow me to get security updates directly from Samsung.

I think you would have to install the firmware for the unlocked model first to get updates from Samsung. But even then I'm not sure if that will work. Why not just return it and buy an unlocked model then?

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

March update on my unlocked s9+

 

[applejosh]

Not sure if it applies to security updates, too, but Samsung has said in the past they unlocked phones have to wait until approved by all carriers before they push updates out. Also, I think it's based on the model number and not necessarily if the phone is unlocked per se.

 

[claykin]

So far there's been no consistency in S9 security updates. A few Exynos models have received the March patch. I've read the China version of the SD phone may have received March too.

 

[andrew_ackley]

My new S9 (that I paid full price for) says that it has the Feb. 1 security updates. That means that it is two months behind, no March 1 or April 1 updates yet. I'm thinking about unlocking my phone from T-Mobile, and seeing if I get more timely updates directly from Samsung.

Anyone know if the Android security updates for an unlocked Samsung S9 would come directly from Samsung? Or would they still have to come (or not *smile*) through T-Mobile, since that's where I'm using my phone currently?

Just curious if unlocking my phone would help my situation? If I could get updates directly from Samsung, that seems like it would be better than waiting on the T-Mobile bottleneck.

As it is, I can't unlock my phone for another couple of weeks. You need 40 days on T-Mobile according to their web site, before you can unlock). But I'd like to hear if unlocking it would allow me to get security updates directly from Samsung.

The unlocked models have been notorious for slow updates. Samsung just dgaf about updates they've proven this in the past.

 

[MrDoh]

I think you would have to install the firmware for the unlocked model first to get updates from Samsung. But even then I'm not sure if that will work. Why not just return it and buy an unlocked model then?

Pretty familiar with installing images on phones, either through side loading or using odin, so I can handle that. I do need to locate the right image, though. I'm past the point when I can return the phone, pretty much have to deal with it as is. Maybe some poking around on xda-developers will provide some answers.

Thanks!

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

I'm thinking about unlocking my phone from T-Mobile, and seeing if I get more timely updates directly from Samsung.

That will not go faster. TMO is not the bottleneck in this case, at least not in a way that would be different for the unlocked version. Samsung's goal on the carrier versions is to have the update out within the same calendar month as it is labeled, which should mean that the April update is available by April 30th - which is 2 months after they received it from Google. It's not uncommon for them to skip a month entirely on some SKU's though.

 

[MrDoh]

I've done some investigation at xda-developers.com, and found some information on how to flash the U1 (unlocked) firmware on the G960U phone that's been locked to a carrier. Interesting stuff, and looks pretty easy to do.

Not sure yet that I'm going that way, though. Apparently S9's are not getting updates at the moment, aside from the Exynos one getting the March updates. Samsung hasn't put out updates for the last two months yet. No word on why, they just haven't. So I may just wait a while and see what happens. Not happy with that, but apparently Samsung has better things to do at the moment than security updates for their customers.

 

[MrDoh]

It looks like the dam has burst as far as updates from Samsung for the S9 goes. Or at least there's been a little water over the dam. My phone installed an Android security update last night, and I've heard that there are more to come now. So maybe things are going to okay after all *smile*. We'll see.