Samsung is the most active and diligent manufacturer with regard to software updates in the Android field, yet there is a gap that has been dragging on for years and that has not been filled this time either: not even the new and very complete Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22+ and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra support the robot’s Seamless Updates.
If these terms don’t tell you anything, the importance and practical utility of Seamless Updates is quickly explained: using A/B partitions for system software updates makes it possible to install them while the device is still in use.
with the sole consequence of postponing the application of the changes to the next reboot of the same. The advantages from the users’ point of view are considerable: not only do you avoid having the smartphone unusable for several minutes waiting for the installation, but you also get the security of being able to perform a rollback to the previous software version in case the installation fails.
In 2020 we had hoped that Google would take the decisive step and make the Seamless Update mechanism mandatory for all OEMs (and indeed a very promising clue was popped up in terms of GMS ), but the hope was in vain and indeed Big G did not made impositions even with Android 12.
Interestingly, Google’s doc for virtual A/B still says that it’s a GMS requirement for devices launching w/ Android 11+. However, I can’t find any evidence that it actually is a GMS requirement, so maybe that wording came from before they scrapped it.https://t.co/U451RGd4Ia pic.twitter.com/kXCCP5g6Lr
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) February 14, 2022
Given the non-mandatory nature of the mechanism, Samsung is among the manufacturers who have been keeping away from it for years: last year we told you about the lack of support from the Samsung Galaxy S21 series and this year, unfortunately, we are forced to repeat ourselves.
Not even Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22 + and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra ( our preview of the entire series is available at this link ) have A / B partitioning, ergo nothing Seamless Update. The lack was found by the 9to5Google team both by analyzing system files and by using apps such as Inward and Treble Info.
Since the introduction of this important function dates back to 2016, precisely to the release of Android 7.1, which took place after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7, it would have been reasonable to expect a faster adaptation by a generally virtuous manufacturer like Samsung, therefore it is difficult to hide the disappointment.