Here at SamMobile, none of us are fans of the way Samsung handles software updates. We have written about how the company makes a mess of updates by upgrading various devices to different versions of Android, often putting focus on older devices over the latest ones. However, there's another huge issue that we are beginning to notice about Samsung's software update policy – it has also made a habit of confusing users on social media channels when it comes to telling them which device will get a software update and which device won't.
A case in point is the matter around the Lollipop upgrade for the Galaxy Note II. Samsung has, through various platforms, time and again confirmed that the Note II will be updated to Android 5.0, but today, Samsung UK – in a response to a query on Twitter – said the opposite, that the Note II (and the Galaxy S4) will be staying on Android 4.4 KitKat. We have seen this happening with a couple of other devices in the past – one of Samsung's local arms would say that a particular phone will be getting the next major update, without said update ever making it out to users.
Now, we understand that some of these responses are based on early stages of a firmware's testing on a particular device (and sometimes on the fact that the social media handlers aren't let in on what is actually the case), and that Samsung's plans can change if it decides a device isn't powerful or suitable enough for the next major version of Android. However, it's something that continues to confuse users, and we really think that Samsung Korea should start officially declaring its software update plans, instead of leaving it to its regional departments to deal with enquiries from users.
Samsung Korea should start officially declaring its software update plans, instead of leaving it to its regional departments to deal with enquiries from users.
With the largest smartphone user base and an insane amount of devices in its repertoire, Samsung really needs to streamline the entire process of software updates, from updating devices to handling communication with the end-user. If there is no guarantee that a particular phone or tablet is eligible for an update, Samsung should either stay quiet until it can make sure, or just tell users that it has no solid information instead of haphazardly offering varied answers to users in various regions of the world.
@WesoLabeshnai We don't like to give out bad news Rohan but the Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 won't be receiving the Lollipop update.
— Samsung Mobile UK (@SamsungMobileUK) July 4, 2015
