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Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

cnet.com

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Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#111

Post by Kuinox »

grumpyprole wrote: post #88
Kuinox wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since 7 years I hear that Samsung apps are "quite nice theses days". I never found it to be true. I owned a Samsung S7, it was atrocious, people said it was great, the bloatware was painful, the gesture to open the apps drawer was conflicted with the gesture to open Samsung pay (which didn't worked with my bank), you can't disable Samsung pay, if you switch the launcher, it's still there. Searching the settings took…

While I might one day leave Samsung for the lack of Bluetooth codecs, in 2024 the UI is really very nice and I would miss it on many other "more stock" Android devices.

What would you miss in the "more stock" android devices ?

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#112

Post by btreecat »

hulium wrote: post #21
Steltek wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't think people are naturally choosing "Samsung Internet" as their favorite browser?

Why not, it supports ad blockers so at least it is better than Chrome. Also it can put the URL bar at the bottom which makes much more sense on a phone.

Because mobile Firefox exists?

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#113

Post by amadeuspagel »

jwells89 wrote: post #4

A good first step. The next one I’d like to see is a one-tap toggle that disables the bulk of Samsung OS customizations and “me too” apps/ecosystem cruft, as some other vendors have. Yes it can be removed manually, but with one of Android’s chief selling points being the choice it affords users, I shouldn’t need to do that, particularly on expensive flagship devices.

> A good first step. The next one I’d like to see is a one-tap toggle that disables the bulk of Samsung OS customizations and “me too” apps/ecosystem cruft, as some other vendors have.

What other vendors have that?

The fundamental problem in the android world is that OEMs have no market power, and that makes it impossible for them to do longterm investments like research and security updates.

What you see here is that using these "me too" apps, Samsung managed to acquire some market power, and so is able to do some of these longterm investments now.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#114

Post by adonese »

hulium wrote: post #21
Steltek wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't think people are naturally choosing "Samsung Internet" as their favorite browser?

Why not, it supports ad blockers so at least it is better than Chrome. Also it can put the URL bar at the bottom which makes much more sense on a phone.

I don't really like samsung internet, it totally sucks. The half-assed adblocker is okayish, and the picture in picture is somewhat better than edge (stopped chrome long ago and edge is my main desktop browser).

Tried Firefox mobile, while I love the ublock origin, it kept constantly crashing that I eventually had to let go off. But yeah I'd definitely love to have a minimal android

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#115

Post by xnyanta »

Steltek wrote: post #11
jwells89 wrote: post #4

A good first step. The next one I’d like to see is a one-tap toggle that disables the bulk of Samsung OS customizations and “me too” apps/ecosystem cruft, as some other vendors have. Yes it can be removed manually, but with one of Android’s chief selling points being the choice it affords users, I shouldn’t need to do that, particularly on expensive flagship devices.

You don't think people are naturally choosing "Samsung Internet" as their favorite browser?

Samsung Internet is a really good browser though, definitely my favorite on Android

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#116

Post by denismi »

wkat4242 wrote: post #108
m1keil wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had similar feeling about Samsung in the past but I think it is quite better nowadays. But there definitely is some AOSP/Samsung duality you cannot escape. My current gripes with existing s23+ is usually one of following: 1. Some of their features are being offloaded to unknown 3rd party vendors (e.g call spam detection). 2. They really want you to install some sort of McAfee AV on your phone to get the "secure" ti…

Agree with 1,2 and 4. Too much privacy-invading external crap. But they're not really behind. I already got the 1 January Android security update a few days ago on my S23. Considering they need to do testing and possible modifications I don't think this is very slow.

I am still on the 1 November 2023 security update on my AU S22 Ultra.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#117

Post by shmoogy »

pyrophane wrote: post #57
shmoogy wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a galaxy fold 5 as my secondary phone and when I first got it I was trying to see what people were using on android in 2023, and fold users overwhelmingly suggested the Samsung internet browser on Reddit. It's.. fine, I was disappointed immediately as even my iPhone in native safari supports greasemonkey scripts.

Secondary phone?

Traveling with my kids, and testing websites on Android browsers. My preferred phone is my iPhone 15 pro.

E: I also have a pixel 6a

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#118

Post by gorbypark »

acdha wrote: post #46
user_7832 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct me if I’m wrong but limiting my charging to 80% (and minimum to say 20%) can increase the charge cycles of a battery by about 5x. This exists on laptops (Thinkpads and Franeworks at least), phones should also offer it.

They do - Apple calls that “optimized charging” on iOS and macOS: https://support.apple.com/en-us/108055

I would love if this was "fine-tunable" on iOS. On macOS there are various ways to cap the maximum charge percentage. On iOS (and macOS by default) it tries to learn your charging habits and do various things based on that, but it never actually caps you to 80%. For example, it knows I plug my phone in over night, so it charges to 80%, pauses, then does the remaining 20% right before I wake up.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#119

Post by kramerger »

yukIttEft wrote: post #91

I mean, do they even have to do more than run "make image" after rebasing to a new (minor) kernel update ?

Even if its just a one-liner, they need to redo all testing and possible certification including those mandated by local carriers.

Re: Samsung extends Android and security updates to 7 years

#120

Post by kjellsbells »

wmf wrote: post #68
kjellsbells wrote: post #60

Where can one go to verify these claims straight from the source? the Internet is full of "mobile news" sites that claim Samsung are doing this or Google are doing that, but they are impossible to verify. I would hope that Samsung would at least put out a press release, or there'd be a link to some release note, or _something_, but nothing. Where do other HN readers go to verify these types of stories?

First result for Galaxy S24 press release: https://news.samsung.com/global/enter-the-new-era-of-mobile-... "The latest flagship continues Samsung’s commitment to extending the product lifecycle, offering seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates..."

Ah, but that sentence is footnoted, and the footnote simply says, "Availability and timing of Android OS upgrades and security updates may vary by device model and market."

Which doesnt tell me, for example, whether a reader with an arbitrary Samsung phone is in- or outside the tent. And is therefore something of a nothingburger.

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