SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

Another company fails to come remotely close to Samsung’s software update game

Firmware
By 

Last updated: July 29th, 2021 at 22:23 UTC+02:00

Update: The Edge 20 series will receive at least two Android OS updates and at least two years of bi-monthly security patches — Motorola representative clarified in a follow-up statement to Android Authority.

Original story follows:

Samsung's been crushing it with firmware updates lately, and it doesn't seem to plan on slowing its pace down in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately — for non-Samsung customers — some Android smartphone manufacturers don't feel the same way Samsung does. And while the latter company is now offering three major Android OS updates for many of its phones, Motorola's firmware policy has just folded and crumbled, much like the new Razr (2019) did when faced with the Galaxy Z Flip.

Motorola just took three new phones out of the oven. They run Android 11 and none of them will benefit from more than a single Android OS update — presumably to Android 12. It comes as a bit of a surprise yet feels like deja vu to many Motorola customers.

The company originally intended to cut firmware support last year before it had a change of heart following backlash. But despite Motorola's efforts to keep fans happy last year, no such efforts will be made for the new Edge 20 trio of smartphones moving forward. And while these phones cover different price points, they're all subjected to the same one-update policy.

Motorola isn't the only smartphone manufacturer to cut corners in terms of firmware support. OnePlus adopted a similar support strategy with the Nord series — though it's now trying to catch up again — and other OEMs such as Sony simply can't keep up with Samsung's pace. The only Android smartphone company that stands a chance is Google itself, mainly due to a recent rumor hinting that Google could start offering five Android OS updates for future Pixel phones.

You better hope other people will buy the same Motorola phone as you

Motorola might be able to offer more than one Android OS update for the Edge 20 series, assuming that enough people will buy these phones and the company determines that it's worth spending time and resources on this endeavor. According to Android Authority citing Motorola, “If [the company] does find that the device has a longer life cycle in the market, [they'll] obviously review to see whether it needs more OS upgrades.”

In other words, if you're a Motorola Edge 20 customer, you could get a second Android OS update if enough people buy the same phone model as you and you all continue using these devices for at least a couple of years. Even so, this is not a guarantee, and no new updates will be released after the first if it's deemed unprofitable, or a waste of time, or whatever Motorola might decide.

And although Motorola isn't in the same league as Samsung in terms of market influence, resources, and others, it's difficult not to compare Motorola's approach to Samsung's. The latter made efforts to extend support for Android OS firmware updates, and it doesn't really care about these types of metrics anymore. Almost every Galaxy smartphone, regardless of its price and popularity, is guaranteed to receive at least two Android OS updates and four years of security patches throughout its lifetime. A good number of Galaxy devices, mid-range and high-end, are getting three major Android OS updates.

Via FirmwareGeneral Android 11Android 12Motorola
Galaxy AI summarized

Scroll for more related content
News For You

You might also like

Samsung’s smartphone sales stay flat in the USA

Samsung’s smartphone sales stay flat in the USA

Samsung's smartphone sales have stayed flat in the USA as the end of the year is approaching. The company ranked second in the country where Apple still dominates. Motorola's market share has improved this year thanks to its value-for-money lineup. Samsung's smartphone sales haven't reduced or increased in Q3 2024 According to an analysis from […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 weeks ago
Lenovo gains on Samsung in US smartphone shipment share

Lenovo gains on Samsung in US smartphone shipment share

Market watchers at Counterpoint Research have analyzed the US smartphone market in Q3 and released their findings. By shipment, Apple led the smartphone market in Q3, followed by Samsung and Lenovo (including Motorola). Surprisingly, while Samsung and Apple shipments in the USA decreased year-on-year, Motorola enjoyed a 21% year-on-year boost. Market watchers say the brand […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 3 weeks ago
Samsung Health Monitor will no longer work on older phones

Samsung Health Monitor will no longer work on older phones

Samsung is taking away an important feature from older phones. The company has announced that the Samsung Health Monitor app won't be supported on Galaxy phones running Android 11 (or older). Samsung Health Monitor won't be supported on Android 11 (or older) Samsung recently released an update (version 1.3.6.001) to the Samsung Health Monitor app […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 1 month ago
Samsung accused of breaking India’s antitrust laws

Samsung accused of breaking India’s antitrust laws

Samsung and other smartphone brands are accused of breaking India's antitrust laws by colluding with online retail giants Amazon and Flipkart to launch exclusive phones for those platforms. The report alleges these firms offered preferences to select retailers, hurting others in the process. Samsung reportedly broke India's competition laws by launching online-exclusive smartphones According to […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 3 months ago
Android’s Theft Detection feature starts rolling out

Android’s Theft Detection feature starts rolling out

Every year, Google adds new privacy and security features to Android smartphones and tablets. It has started rolling out a new feature that is meant to reduce phone theft by locking a phone that has been snatched. This makes the phone unusable for the snatcher and increases the user's data privacy and security if it […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 4 months ago
Sales of Galaxy foldables drop heavily, a cause for concern for Samsung

Sales of Galaxy foldables drop heavily, a cause for concern for Samsung

Samsung had the first movers advantage in the foldable smartphone segment. Its Galaxy Z smartphones were way ahead of the competition, but that isn't the case anymore. The company is falling behind in terms of hardware improvements, and that has started to show up in sales charts. The sales of Samsung's foldable smartphones dropped sharply […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 6 months ago