Android smartphones have been popular for decades, but there are problems that users have been facing for years. Despite the constant development of the operating system, some shortcomings remain unresolved, causing dissatisfaction among users.
RBK-Ukraine (Styler project) talks about the problems of Android smartphones that have not been solved for years.
CNET, Techno FAQ, Computerworld were used in the preparation of this article.
Different shells have different features and problems
The era of smartphones with pure Android, when third-party skins were available only to enthusiasts and required self-installation, is long gone.
Currently, almost every manufacturer has its own version of Android: Samsung offers One UI, Honor – MagicOS, and OnePlus – OxygenOS. These shells are based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) – an open version of Android to which manufacturers add new features and their own interface.
Even Google Pixel smartphones now don't come with pure Android, but with the Pixel Launcher skin. Although it can be considered the most “original” version of the system, this does not make it free of additions.
As a result, the experience of using smartphones of different brands can be very different, even if both devices run on Android 14. Desktop, settings and menus will look different. Guides for enabling or disabling features created for one device may be useless for another due to different setting names and locations.
Updates are slow
Among other problems, it is impossible not to mention the speed of releasing updates. While Google releases new versions of Android for all compatible Pixel smartphones at the same time, other manufacturers do not follow this strategy.
From Xiaomi, Samsung and other manufacturers, updates are released in waves: first for new phones and current flagships, then for high-end ones devices of past years, and then for others (with luck).
It often happens that a new version of Android has already been announced, and owners of some phone models never received the previous update that they were promised.
This is a harsh reality for non-Pixel Android smartphones: in as the gadget turns a year or two old, owners have to wait for new versions of Android for months, if not completely abandon their expectations.
Long-term support only for flagships
As already written above, Android is not a single system, but a set of shells, each of which is under the cover of its own settings. Each manufacturer not only adapts the appearance and functionality at its own discretion, but also releases updates only for those devices that it considers necessary.
Owners of flagship models, as a rule, do not have to worry: top Google smartphones, Xiaomi and Samsung each receive 3-4 major Android updates and security updates within 5-7 years of the device's release. However, the situation is not so optimistic with devices of the inexpensive segment.
For example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro smartphone, released in 2021, already in the first quarter of 2024 does not receive new Android versions or security updates. This device was introduced with Android 11, updated to Android 13, but less than three years later it was left without support and abandoned by the manufacturer.
It is easy to get confused in the modifications and characteristics
It's not even so much about the number of budget Samsung and Redmi smartphones available with the same design or the differences in memory options of the same phone, but about the differences between devices of the same model for different markets.
Depending on the place of residence or the source of import of the new gadget, phones with the same name may have a different processor and amount of RAM, as well as the presence or absence of an NFC chip for contactless payment.
Samsung stands out in particular: it prefers to release flagship devices with Snapdragon processors in some countries and its own Exynos chips in others. This means that the Samsung Galaxy S24 purchased in Europe will differ in terms of characteristics from the similar model from the USA.
It can be seen that the situation with the iPhone is not better either: in China, these smartphones are sold with two SIM slots cards, while in the US they are only available with eSIMs without support for physical SIM cards.
In addition, US models are often equipped with more advanced communication equipment, including 5G modules and improved antennas.
There is no full-fledged ecosystem on Android
Android doesn't provide a single universal system like AirDrop for freely sharing files between different devices. Instead, each manufacturer develops its own solutions, such as Honor Share, Mi Share, realme Share, etc.
So far, the only case of successful communication has been Samsung's collaboration with Google: their Quick Share function works with Pixel and Galaxy devices.
In addition, at the level of the operating system, there is no effective interaction between several Android devices of the same user. Even if the smartphone and tablet have the same Google account, they are united only through Google services, but no more.
If both devices belong to different manufacturers that did not take care of synchronization, you will not be able to start working on a note on the phone and continue it on the tablet, copy text from one device and paste it on another, etc.
Google services and other applications impose on users
On a new Android smartphone, you'll find tons of app icons from Google, the device manufacturer, and sometimes even from advertisers who paid for pre-installation. Although most of the imposed third-party applications can be removed, Google services and the manufacturer's applications usually remain unchanged.
Yes, installed applications are present in any operating system, because the user has to start somewhere. However, on the iPhone, you can remove almost all standard applications, at least from the desktop – from “Camera” to “Contacts”.
In the case of Android, users often have to hide all unnecessary applications in a folder and move them to a separate screen, if luck smiles, then delete them from the screen. However, this is not always possible in every shell.
One might argue that you can often delete icons on the iPhone, but not apps. However, in the case of the Apple system, it is about basic applications such as Notes, Mail, Calendar, etc. You cannot do without them: if you remove the default applications, you will have to look for alternatives.
On the other hand, Google has problems with additional cloud and online services, without which the smartphone cannot be fully used.
There is no adequate data transfer system
Another problem that arose due to different shells and standard applications of manufacturers that are not compatible with utilities of other brands.
As a rule, there are no problems when switching between devices of the same manufacturer, since most companies have their own systems for quickly transferring data to a new device. However, if you decide to change your device from Xiaomi to Samsung, for example, you will have to spend some time.
Backing up with a Google account or data transfer apps such as Smart Switch for Samsung or Mi Mover for Xiaomi can help migrate some data, but not all.
Some apps, such as corporate and some social apps, offer their own backup systems, so migrating each app's data will require your own intervention and manual input.