Verizon Still Slow on Android Updates? - Only 13 Total Marshmallow Devices

[New2u]

What?!? Um, no. And you, Kansas? Liked that post?
No offense but that might be one of the worst posts I've ever read on DF. Bad updates are, at best, 5% VZW's fault. They don't "test for months". They don't decide that the Note 4 gets an update. I don't see any forum anywhere that people complain to Verizon for a bad update. Motorola's forum are full of people complaining about bad updates...at Moto. Not VZW.
When the RAZR HD got a bad update, we complained to Moto. Moto released a patch 2 weeks later. Still didn't fix everything. Did we complain to VZW? No. Why would we?
Moto get the OS from Google. They make it work on their phone. They give it to VZW to sprinkle pixie dust and bloatware apps on top. Then release it. Maybe VZW tests a feature they add, like Wifi calling. They don't do any extensive testing with any phone except, maybe, possibly the Droid line because that one is their baby.
100% Carriers fault? Even if what you posted was true, you lay not one ounce of blame with the manufacturer? Be serious.

Sent from Turbo II

More then welcome to your own opinion, Verizon does in fact have to check their software works with the update. The Razr HD? That is your go to phone with a bad update? Verizon does not just hold an update for 5 seconds after they get it and then say.. whelp guys... this is done on our side. Many times after the manufacturers get it, it is still in "TESTING" and "Vetting" with the carriers for quite a while. While months maybe exaggerated, they still have it for quite some time. It is up to Verizon to Vet the update for their network, and that includes wireless also because these phones are carrier specific (more or less GSM or CDMA), which means they NEED to have testing done for all aspects on the phone to verify it working. If there is no carrier branding on it, then yes i agree there is no one to blame but the manufacturer. While i would say 100% is over exaggerated, it's not far from the truth. 5% to blame, you are kidding yourself with that. Verizon doesn't decide when it gets an update but they sure as heck sit on it after it's been pushed to them.

If one is to say that it is 5%, then almost all carriers should be pushing updates at the exact same time... why don't they? Because of vetting and testing. They do more then hit 3 buttons and say, whelp our job here is done. Let's just bring WiFi calling into the picture, do you not think Verizon is going to do some extensive testing with WiFi to make sure that their new feature actually works and doesn't create a backlash? Because who is Verizon going to blame? The manufacturer? OK, lets say for a minute that happens.. who do you think the users are going to blame? The manufacturers? No, they will blame Verizon for not testing their new feature on the phone, and i'm not talking about semi-tech people, i'm talking about the everyday user of the phones, who are just happy their pixie dust works and they can make phone calls.

I have seen updates that break WiFi for one carrier, but other carriers don't have that issue. So then again, who does the blame lay with? Everyday users will say the same thing.... Verizon because they didn't do testing at that point then.

I blame the carriers for these different variants of the software, which impact the updates that come. Maybe VZW doesn't do MUCH with the updates, but they obviously make Samsung (in this case) make the tweaks and changes that they want done, so I still hold them at fault. That said, I'd still contact Samsung if I was still using the Note 4 and this update broke something.

This right here is what I am referring to. While Verizon may not have made the change itself, they are forcing manufacturers to make the changes, which impacts the entire phone as a whole because you have no idea if one option breaks another. In that respect I still blame Verizon, as they are the sole reason for the different variant, and with that variant requires more testing.

 

[PereDroid]

More then welcome to your own opinion, Verizon does in fact have to check their software works with the update. The Razr HD? That is your go to phone with a bad update?

Abso-frigging-lutely. Updates ruined my phone and it was never the same after. Even the *fix* never really fixed what was broken. That phone was never the same again.

 

[New2u]

http://gizmodo.com/5987508/why-android-updates-are-so-slow

Welcome to the wonderful world of carrier testing. The wireless carriers have to test not only every single new phone they plan to offer, but also every software update to every phone that they are already carrying. Simply put, they have to be certain that the phone will work on their network as advertized. How hard is that? Try mind-bogglingly.

"They've got limited resources, people, time, equipment," says Samsung's DiCarlo. "The test scopes for these, as the networks get more complex with CDMA, GSM, LTE, multiple bands, now getting into VoLTE next year, different regions of the network are made with different network providers, so they have to test in all the regions. So the network testing complexity is extraordinary."

Each carrier has a validation team. They do everything from drop tests for the hardware to benchmark tests against usability metrics. They take software through automated experiences to see if there is a slowdown somewhere. When they finally give TA (Technical Acceptance) they want to be sure that they're maintaining their standards.

The highlighted portion is the key portion here, they don't just say well i can make a phone call... it's done. Updates are massively complex already, but when you throw the carriers in with their change to the code, it makes it their fault. Had they not been so massively controlling on what to block from users and what not to block, this would not be an issue. If we only had non-carrier branded phones, updates would be pushed out quite a bit quicker.

Abso-frigging-lutely. Updates ruined my phone and it was never the same after. Even the *fix* never really fixed what was broken. That phone was never the same again.

I had the Verizon thunderbolt, which was pretty much an EVO clone. Verizon decided to push HTC for an update for this phone past which all other carriers wanted to go with the EVO. In which point I place blame on Verizon for my phone being semi-unusable after the update, i don't blame HTC. HTC did exactly what was expected of them, they made the software updates.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Google pushes an update to the manufacturer. The manufacturer finds things don't work as expected after adding their bloat. Who is to blame for that? Who fixes it?
After that gets fixed the bloated version gets pushed to the carrier who adds or takes away features and bloat. Something goes wrong. Who is to blame there? Who is the one that fixes it?
If it's like the finished product that gets pushed out and aftermarket apps go rogue that falls to the aftermarket developer to fix. If that's true to me it seems with the first bug fest that Samsung (or whoever made the device) would be responsible to fix it not Google. If that is true the second bug fest due to pixie dust would fall on the carrier to fix, not Google and not the manufacturer.
All these years of fragmentation and I've only seen 3 bugs that were squarely on Google and 2 of those (no aftermarket apps could move data from phone to SD card with KK and no aftermarket dates toggles with L) were intentional for whatever reason and not bugs.
To me it falls on the carrier and the manufacturer equally to fix the bugs their add ons break. I'm not a fan of carriers and manufacturers monkeying with the security patch updates either . Push the security and leave the blankety blank bloatware for a separate update.
I write this because bloatware fragmentation is why it takes so long to get updates.
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[cr6]

Obviously Nexus branded devices will always be the first to receive OS updates, as well as those devices that are closer to "vanilla" Android. When it comes to the Note series devices however, historically they have ALWAYS been some of the last models to receive an update. Simply due to the fact that they have so many more features than a stock vanilla Nexus device. It's just common sense really.
It boggles my mind that Note users still don't recognize this and continue to complain about how long it takes to get an update. Most folks typically purchase a Note device because it comes stock with a plethora of "bells & whistles" that no other device comes with. It's not for everyone of course, but this is the main appeal of this particular model. As we all know, that in turn means developers/carriers/manufacturers have to go through all the various features of this device to ensure the latest OS update plays nice with the features that don't come on your vanilla Android device. I'm not developer, but it has to be a tedious process and playing the "blame game" is pointless.
Personally I think manufacturers (& carriers) have gotten MUCH better over the years. They used to push out updates left & right that caused a multitude of problems. Over the past couple years however they've taken more time to properly test said updates to ensure a much better compatibility with these various models. I believe the majority of the general public would prefer that as opposed to a half baked OS update.

Sure there will always be the occasional bug that pops up, but such is life....it's not perfect. (And to expect such is ridiculous)
I've always said, purchase your device for what it is and what it can do for you NOW, not what it might do for you later. Features implemented after that are just icing on the cake.

As always, that's just my 2 cents on the matter.

S5 tap'n

 

[mountainbikermark]

Obviously Nexus branded devices will always be the first to receive OS updates, as well as those devices that are closer to "vanilla" Android. When it comes to the Note series devices however, historically they have ALWAYS been some of the last models to receive an update. Simply due to the fact that they have so many more features than a stock vanilla Nexus device. It's just common sense really.
It boggles my mind that Note users still don't recognize this and continue to complain about how long it takes to get an update. Most folks typically purchase a Note device because it comes stock with a plethora of "bells & whistles" that no other device comes with. It's not for everyone of course, but this is the main appeal of this particular model. As we all know, that in turn means developers/carriers/manufacturers have to go through all the various features of this device to ensure the latest OS update plays nice with the features that don't come on your vanilla Android device. I'm not developer, but it has to be a tedious process and playing the "blame game" is pointless.
Personally I think manufacturers (& carriers) have gotten MUCH better over the years. They used to push out updates left & right that caused a multitude of problems. Over the past couple years however they've taken more time to properly test said updates to ensure a much better compatibility with these various models. I believe the majority of the general public would prefer that as opposed to a half baked OS update.

Sure there will always be the occasional bug that pops up, but such is life....it's not perfect. (And to expect such is ridiculous)
I've always said, purchase your device for what it is and what it can do for you NOW, not what it might do for you later. Features implemented after that are just icing on the cake.

As always, that's just my 2 cents on the matter.

S5 tap'n

Hey I'm not complaining that I haven't gotten an update to my firmware because I haven't gotten a definitive answer yet as to whether or not M will give me back my aftermarket data network toggle or not and L took quite a while to get the battery life bug fixed and sent out. Every update since froyo I have not looked forward to because something is wrong with it or took away a feature I regularly used. I'm fine with my Note2 still having ICS on it because it was the final bug free version at abandonment. I was happy with this phone when it had JB on it.

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[cr6]

I apologize MBM, I wasn't trying to single you out. It was more a generalized statement from reading various complaints from Note owners across a number of forums.
I should have been a bit more specific with how I worded my comment.

S5 tap'n

 

[FoxKat]

Hey I'm not complaining that I haven't gotten an update to my firmware because I haven't gotten a definitive answer yet as to whether or not M will give me back my aftermarket data network toggle or not and L took quite a while to get the battery life bug fixed and sent out. Every update since froyo I have not looked forward to because something is wrong with it or took away a feature I regularly used. I'm fine with my Note2 still having ICS on it because it was the final bug free version at abandonment. I was happy with this phone when it had JB on it.

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Hey @mountainbikermark , what kind of network toggle are you looking for? It's it just one that will refresh the network or one that will allow it to be turned off for a particular purpose and then turned on again later, but done as a widget perhaps? Have you tried Network Signal Refresher Lite - Android Apps on Google Play
? Maybe that's not what you're looking for but perhaps it is.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[droidprincess]

What?!? Um, no. And you, Kansas? Liked that post?
No offense but that might be one of the worst posts I've ever read on DF. Bad updates are, at best, 5% VZW's fault. They don't "test for months". They don't decide that the Note 4 gets an update. I don't see any forum anywhere that people complain to Verizon for a bad update. Motorola's forum are full of people complaining about bad updates...at Moto. Not VZW.
When the RAZR HD got a bad update, we complained to Moto. Moto released a patch 2 weeks later. Still didn't fix everything. Did we complain to VZW? No. Why would we?
Moto get the OS from Google. They make it work on their phone. They give it to VZW to sprinkle pixie dust and bloatware apps on top. Then release it. Maybe VZW tests a feature they add, like Wifi calling. They don't do any extensive testing with any phone except, maybe, possibly the Droid line because that one is their baby.
100% Carriers fault? Even if what you posted was true, you lay not one ounce of blame with the manufacturer? Be serious.

Sent from Turbo II

Agreed!!!

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

[Preach2k]

Update installed.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[MissionImprobable]

Considering that Google is considering pushing out a list naming and shaming both carriers and manufacturers I think it's clear that both parties have a pretty hefty hand in the issues going on with updates.

 

[espritsol]

It appears that Verizon is doing a bit better at getting Android updates pushed out to devices on their network in a more timely manner; however, they are still slow compared to other carriers. Check this list out:

1. Droid Turbo 2
2. Droid Maxx 2
3. HTC One M8
4. HTC One M9
5. LG V10
6. LG G4
7. LG G3
8. LG G Pad 8.3
9. Samsung Galaxy S6
10. Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
11. Samsung Galaxy Note 5
12. Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
13. Samsung Galaxy S5

That's the total number of Android devices which have received the Marshmallow update through Big Red. What do you folks think? Do they need to step up their game even further? Perhaps they could still do better...

 

[espritsol]

Thanks for sharing the useful information. By the way, I am facing incoming call problem with Marshmallow in my Moto G phone.

 

[FoxKat]

Thanks for sharing the useful information. By the way, I am facing incoming call problem with Marshmallow in my Moto G phone.

Please see response in the thread you started for this problem (Motorola 3G Incoming problem)

Also please see your Private Message section for a notice.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[GoCliffGo05]

Vzw Note 4 - as of now, 6am eastern.

Sent from my Note 4