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And Samsung flagships now are getting 3 years of OS upgrades and 4th year of security updates. So I think that's pretty good and matches many people's upgrade cycle ;) I mean we can joke about Android updates, and although that's still valid for other OEMs, I think we should also admit that Samsung is doing better.
So my iPhone X from 2017 would no longer be getting updates? No thanks, my iPhone X still runs great and still gets regular updates.
 
That used to be the case but one UI software is rather great now. Would say it’s the most stable OS out there. More stable than iOS
Good to hear. I am actually surprised, given Samsung's market share in Android phones, that they have not ditched Android and developed one UI in to a full on operating system. That would give us Samsung, Android, iOS. Pretty cool if that were to happen.
 
So my iPhone X from 2017 would no longer be getting updates? No thanks, my iPhone X still runs great and still gets regular updates.
The Galaxy S8, from April 2017, got it's (presumably) last update in Nov 2021. So a little more than 4.5 years of updates.
 
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Good to hear. I am actually surprised, given Samsung's market share in Android phones, that they have not ditched Android and developed one UI in to a full on operating system. That would give us Samsung, Android, iOS. Pretty cool if that were to happen.

There’s rumours Samsung and Google are working together for a separate OS from other android makers
 
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I understand your joke, but seeing iPhone users here upgrading their iPhones on a yearly basis anyway, does it matter in context of people here? :D
Yeah I get the joke too, but unfortunately is isn't true. Most Samsung phones mid and flagship get 3 years of os updates and up to 4 years of monthly security updates now. So funny haha, 5 years ago.
 
Good to hear. I am actually surprised, given Samsung's market share in Android phones, that they have not ditched Android and developed one UI in to a full on operating system. That would give us Samsung, Android, iOS. Pretty cool if that were to happen.
Samsung tried with Tizen, and it didn't go anywhere. In the end, Android wins due to GMS and the apps. Look at Huawei and its Harmony OS, they went nowhere without GMS and apps. At this point, there's no way a third platform can succeed since the app ecosystem for the existing two (iOS and Android) are too huge already. Heck, Microsoft tried with Windows Phone way back when things were still in their infancy, and they failed.
 
I'm idly wondering if smartphones are a mature product or whether we are in an accumulation phase in terms of computing power before the next great innovation can happen.

My gut says it's the latter, but I can't prove it.

I think battery enhancements are the biggest priority for innovation. Not just smartphones but in general.
 
I think battery enhancements are the biggest priority for innovation. Not just smartphones but in general.
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Totally. What I suspect is happening, is that smart phone technology as fascinating as it is, with all the camera advances, FaceID security and multitasking convenient shortcuts, it’s not enough anymore for consumers. Battery life is by far the single most crucial aspect to any smart phone in terms of making leaps and bounds. And if there’s any selling point that I would pay a very high premium, it would be new battery technology well beyond what the standards are today with lithium ion.
 
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its probably going to look like the iPhone...

Don't need more than 3.5" then turned around and copied the phablet pioneer. Midget phone still missing pen input though.

1643233556103.png
 
we need samsung to allow for changing the bootloader without their proprietary one so we can flash Android roms like Lineage, Calyx, and Graphene. Currently the only phone that allows that is ironically Google Pixel.

I use a Samsung for work as it’s my work phone they give me and honestly I hate it, I love using the 13 pro max I don’t know how anyone uses android for there daily phone

Android sucks, the scrolling seems offs, but I am growing weary of apple and privacy. I am very skeptical of where things are going.
 
Honestly, even iphones, smartphones are such a mature product at this point it's hard to get excited about any announcements about them now days. More mega pixels slight processor improvements. Yawn.
I stopped getting excited about phones several years ago. This is why I'm still using an XS Max and a Note 10+ and a S10+. I may get a new phone sometime in the next year though.
 
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Samsung has a good record in developing and manufacturing sophisticated electronic components, some great and some not so great. Its the right combination of wisely chose hardware and software components that makes a product super. Unfortunately Samsung is just not good with software (in- and outsourced) and that breaks their phones so much.
Maybe you should check a newer generation Samsung phone (something from the last 3 years).
Samsung when it comes to software is currently the best Android OEM, competing head to head with Google honestly.
Samsung makes good phones, do take great photos but the software to manage it all... horrible. I always feel like its rushed through development just have something on the market fast. I wish that they would take more time into software development. Apple is doing better, but they seem to rush things too in the last 10 years.
I don't really think Apple is doing better at all. The S21U had on average more than 1 update per month and it got a stable OneUI 4.0 , Android 12 release with few problems. Fewer than Apple and especially Google's A12 on Pixel 6 series.
Samsung has improved immensely even vs one year ago and then they continue to improve. For example:
 
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So my iPhone X from 2017 would no longer be getting updates? No thanks, my iPhone X still runs great and still gets regular updates.
Well if you understand the modularity of Android yes it would still get updates, just not updates from the OEM that made the phone. In terms of usability not much would change really.
 
Samsung tried with Tizen, and it didn't go anywhere. In the end, Android wins due to GMS and the apps. Look at Huawei and its Harmony OS, they went nowhere without GMS and apps. At this point, there's no way a third platform can succeed since the app ecosystem for the existing two (iOS and Android) are too huge already. Heck, Microsoft tried with Windows Phone way back when things were still in their infancy, and they failed.
But I think Samsung has such a large market share and fairly loyal base, and their hardware is some of the best on any platform, they could definitely slowly roll out more and more of their owns apps, and work with developers to develop apps that work on their own software, then they can develop an App Store.
 
But I think Samsung has such a large market share and fairly loyal base, and their hardware is some of the best on any platform, they could definitely slowly roll out more and more of their owns apps, and work with developers to develop apps that work on their own software, then they can develop an App Store.
Doing that cost a lot of money. Again, Samsung tried and they gave up. They would rather work closer with Google (eg WearOS) than trying to go against Google.

Actually, if you have a Samsung phone, you have the option to not even use Google at all. Samsung already have their own App Store pre installed on all of their phones. Guess how many people use it. Not many, other than for updating some of the stock apps. When people buy an Android phone, they expect the Google Play Store. There’s a reason Huawei is going nowhere now outside China without GMS. Android is synonymous to Google.
 
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