Dear Samsung, this is insensitive and cruel.
Long backstory. Ever since Samsung opened up their Android P beta last year, users have actively signed up, installed said beta and constantly given feedback to help smooth out bugfixes.
There were 3 updates to the Android P beta (last one was sent out on December 27) before the official version started rolling out to users.
Since then, every recent flagship model has received the official update except unlocked Note 9 users - yes, the very first people who got invited to the beta program.
Initially, the Samsung USA beta developers begged for patience. Their default response was that the official OS needed to go through carrier testing before it would be released to unlocked phones. I actually joined in promoting this BS excuse when other beta forum members got upset. Then one by one, network-locked phones got their update alongside the unlocked versions of older models. Guess which phone never got the update? The unlocked Note 9 in North America.
After these OS updates, the USA beta forum released a canned response every time they were asked when the update will roll out. At one point, they mentioned it would be pushed on the day of the S10 launch. That was a lie. Since then they have gone silent.
Yes, everyone says that is the downside of buying an unlocked device. Yes, we understand we may never even get the official update. We may rant, but we can live with that.
This morning 03/11, a notice pops up in the Samsung Members app telling everyone the beta ends tomorrow 03/12 so to hurry up and download the official version, making it sound like the delay has been on the part of users. Basically we are being kicked out.
Great! You'd think the official OS has been finally released to all users, right? Wrong.
As of the time of writing this, the "latest" update for the unlocked Note 9 is still the December 27th version.
Dear Samsung, get you PR right and your departments to coordinate properly with the devs. Despite the robo-responses, it is somewhat amusing that your customer services sends out a notice for the close of beta testing without communicating with the devs to ensure every user has a chance to install the official update. This means that after the 13th, unlocked Note 9 users will have no avenue to provide feedback or even assist and notify each other about the beta they are stuck in.
As I said in my last post on here, I still think tech sites/bloggers/vloggers are complicit too. They were quick to tout the features of the Note 9, roll out post/videos about the beta and updates for a few carriers and then everyone pivoted to the S10 as if to forget the Note 9 exists. Can't wait till the Note 10 comes out too, so they can sell you screen protectors and cases and ignore any woes your S10 has. The cycle continues.
Long rant. There is no TLDR here. Basically, we are screwed...
Long backstory. Ever since Samsung opened up their Android P beta last year, users have actively signed up, installed said beta and constantly given feedback to help smooth out bugfixes.
There were 3 updates to the Android P beta (last one was sent out on December 27) before the official version started rolling out to users.
Since then, every recent flagship model has received the official update except unlocked Note 9 users - yes, the very first people who got invited to the beta program.
Initially, the Samsung USA beta developers begged for patience. Their default response was that the official OS needed to go through carrier testing before it would be released to unlocked phones. I actually joined in promoting this BS excuse when other beta forum members got upset. Then one by one, network-locked phones got their update alongside the unlocked versions of older models. Guess which phone never got the update? The unlocked Note 9 in North America.
After these OS updates, the USA beta forum released a canned response every time they were asked when the update will roll out. At one point, they mentioned it would be pushed on the day of the S10 launch. That was a lie. Since then they have gone silent.
Yes, everyone says that is the downside of buying an unlocked device. Yes, we understand we may never even get the official update. We may rant, but we can live with that.
This morning 03/11, a notice pops up in the Samsung Members app telling everyone the beta ends tomorrow 03/12 so to hurry up and download the official version, making it sound like the delay has been on the part of users. Basically we are being kicked out.
Great! You'd think the official OS has been finally released to all users, right? Wrong.
As of the time of writing this, the "latest" update for the unlocked Note 9 is still the December 27th version.
Dear Samsung, get you PR right and your departments to coordinate properly with the devs. Despite the robo-responses, it is somewhat amusing that your customer services sends out a notice for the close of beta testing without communicating with the devs to ensure every user has a chance to install the official update. This means that after the 13th, unlocked Note 9 users will have no avenue to provide feedback or even assist and notify each other about the beta they are stuck in.
As I said in my last post on here, I still think tech sites/bloggers/vloggers are complicit too. They were quick to tout the features of the Note 9, roll out post/videos about the beta and updates for a few carriers and then everyone pivoted to the S10 as if to forget the Note 9 exists. Can't wait till the Note 10 comes out too, so they can sell you screen protectors and cases and ignore any woes your S10 has. The cycle continues.
Long rant. There is no TLDR here. Basically, we are screwed...