I don’t even trust Samsung or Google for good, timely Android updates anymore

Back in 2020, Samsung revolutionized Android updates by jumping ahead of Google in the race and starting to release timely monthly security patches even before they dropped for Pixel phones. For a few years, the company spearheaded the Android update movement, becoming the first non-Google Android phone maker to commit to three, four, five, and then seven years of updates, all while also taking care of its mid-rangers, and ensuring early access to new Android betas was as timely as ever.

Meanwhile, Google has done its best to keep up with Samsung and even surpass it with some update commitments. As confusing as the new beta and QPR release cycle is, it still ensures there’s enough novelty on Pixels year-round.

So why, then, am I saying that I don’t even trust either of them for good Android updates anymore? Well, recent history has been very iffy.

Over the last few years, Google has switched from a single yearly update with monthly security patches and one beta track to one very convoluted release cycle that had me scratching my head for a bit until I was able to make some sense of it. This means that, at any given moment in time, Google is maintaining three different Android tracks and has forced itself to release big QPR and Pixel Drop updates much more frequently.

Google has an ongoing beta channel to test these updates before rolling them out to the public, but for some reason, Pixel Drop features often do not get tested with the rest of Android, so they’re released immediately in the stable channel to the public, at the expense of stability and reliability. As much as I love testing a bunch of new features like the new display filters and Desktop Mode, my main phone is not a playing ground for Google’s whims. I’ve only had the battery drain issue on my Pixel 10 Pro XL since the March update, and I’m livid. If I had boot loops or connectivity problems that force me to freeze my phone to keep it working, I’d be going berserk.

So, while I absolutely love a lot of what Google is doing with updates and new features now, and I think Android 16 grew to become one of the best Android versions, I still believe it’s fair to say that Google isn’t so reliable for updates anymore. The number of bugs in some of these updates is sad. And it’s not like the company has been very timely with its updates, either. We’ve had so many instances of halted or delayed updates, too.

At this point, installing a Pixel update is a coin toss. Heads, you get one of the best Android updates ever; tails, you get a series of annoying, potentially unlivable bugs. Trust is a bit broken. Start testing these in beta, Google! It’s fine if we get an early look at some Pixel-only features.

Samsung used to be one of the fastest companies to bundle a new Android version with its latest One UI. One UI 4, 5, and 6 launched a month or two after Android 12, 13, and 14. That was a commendable effort on Samsung’s part. For flagship Galaxy owners, that meant receiving the coolest new Android features with so little delay compared to Pixel owners that it barely mattered.

But things have tragically slowed down since then. One UI 7 was a few months late, and One UI 8 and 8.5 even more of a mess — I like to blame Galaxy AI for it. It gets worse for midrangers and cheaper phones, too. It doesn’t help that Samsung’s One UI beta program is so sadly limited. I live in France, so I don’t get to test it. Only a few countries get to try the new update, which leaves more adventurous users out of the equation if they don’t live in the US, UK, and a couple of other countries.

Along with this punctuality issue, Samsung has clearly shifted its update priority and dropped the ball for Galaxy A series phones and older flagships. They now get moved much more quickly from the monthly to the quarterly update cycle, meaning a five- or seven-year monthly update promise only matters for the first year or two. After that, you’re always a bit behind. While this isn’t problematic, and Samsung tends to release major patches quickly for every phone, it’s still sad compared to a few years ago, when phones remained on the monthly track much longer.

And then, there’s the dreaded Play System update snafu. Even when you have the latest One UI and monthly patch, you might not have the best of Android on your Galaxy phone, and your phone is lying if it says it’s up-to-date. Samsung has chosen to halt Google’s Play System updates until it can verify them, so the one Android feature that Google set up to avoid manufacturer interference is being interfered with on a Galaxy phone. Play System updates are how Google brings crucial features like the Find Hub update, Theft Detection Lock, and instant hotspot to all of Android, regardless of brand. By delaying these, Samsung is gatekeeping the best of Android from your phone for many months.

And look, I am perfectly aware that both Samsung and Google have some of the best Android update strategies out there, but I’m sad to notice that they’re both trending backward instead of improving year over year. We had it better in the early 2020s, when updates were more timely and taken more seriously.