There was a time when when you bought a phone you had to struggle with the software that came with it until you decided to give it away, sell it, or throw it in the trash. And I’m not just talking about feature phones – it was like that in the early days of Android too.

However, as OTA updates have become the norm, there is an unintended consequence that comes with the ability to change software after a phone is released. This allows manufacturers to release phones that are, for lack of a better word, unfinished.

Look, software updates are great and bring a lot of good

Software updates are fantastic, and these days they’re a big part of the criteria buyers use to choose a phone. There are big operating system updates that bring all the magic of new versions of Android, and then there are smaller security updates that can fix bugs and vulnerabilities, as well as add minor fixes and new features.

Imagine using an expensive Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for four or five years with exactly the same features. In this day and age, no one would want that, so it’s great that we’ve reached a point where software updates are so commonplace.

That’s the good side of software updates and I don’t think there’s anyone who hates that side of the business. But let’s talk about the bad side of OTA updates.

The ability to subsequently optimize a phone’s software has made manufacturers negligent

Manufacturers haven’t always had the luxury of allowing consumers to install updates themselves from anywhere in the world. In the past, you would have to go to a store and have a special software install the software for you. While not very convenient, it was the only real way to fix serious bugs in released devices. As a result, it was rare for older devices to ship with buggy or half-finished software.

However, it is relatively common these days for first-time buyers of new smartphones to encounter a number of different issues. It could be a faulty fingerprint reader, tint on the display, or flagship cameras not performing as expected.

For example, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series was launched earlier this year, but users are still waiting for camera updates to make their cameras perform as expected. At another time, these cameras would have been fully polished and shipped competitively.

Besides Samsung, Google’s Pixel phones are another big offender, and they’ve been on almost every generation. Often, key features that Google likes to tout to consumers don’t work properly out of the box. For example, with the Pixel 5, some regions had to wait for a 5G update. When the Pixel 4 came out, the Soli Radar was unreliable out of the box. There were also major complaints about the battery with the Pixel 7. The list goes on.

However, do not expect an end to this development; manufacturers are satisfied with the current agreements

I’m fighting an uphill battle hoping that smartphone manufacturers will put more effort into releasing their devices. After all, sometimes making sure the software is perfect before launch would result in delays that would completely mess up the financial projections for the year, and we know how important money is for these brands.

However, can we at least get to a point where manufacturers put a lot more effort into the performance of their devices at launch? At least one Pixel release with no news articles about screen, battery, or fingerprint issues. That’s all I’m asking.