GoKawiilBack 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.
What do you think about the state of updates for Pixel and Galaxy phones? 33 votes They're good. I have no issues. 33 % Google's updates are too buggy. 15 % Samsung's updates used to be faster. 36 % I have issues with both of them (explain in comments). 15 %
Google’s updates are excellent, unreliable, and buggy
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
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.
Installing a new Pixel update is a coin toss between one of the best versions ever or a series of annoying, unlivable bugs.
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.
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