A story of rushed Android phones: How Apple's iPhone is winning in (slow) innovation

Here are a few examples:

• Face ID, which is the most advanced and reliable form of face unlock on a phone, despite arriving years after the first Android phone with face unlock
• Multi-camera systems - Apple's iPhones can switch between lenses almost seamlessly, including keeping colors between them consistent
• Big batteries - the iPhone 13 Pro Max was the first iPhone to cross the 4000 mAh capacity mark, which is still small by Android's standards...  still the 13 Pro Max is the longest-lasting flagship phone on the market today
• Stereo speakers - the iPhone 7 was very late to the game, but current iPhones boast some of the best-sounding stereo speaker systems
• Wireless charging - MagSafe didn't only solve the problem with properly aligning your iPhone on a wireless charger, but it also allows you to attach magnetic accessories to your phone (now adapted by a few Android phone-makers)
• Bluetooth earbuds - Apple started making them just six years ago, which is 12 years after the first Bluetooth headphones were released, but we all know how AirPods revolutionized the way we listen to music
• Widgets - it seems like the wait was worth it since Apple's take on widgets looks clean and sophisticated. In fact, many Android phones now take influence from the iPhone's widgets, which is somewhat ironic

iPhones are far from perfect

With that out of the way, let me make it clear - iPhones aren't problem-free...

Even when it comes to Apple's latest iPhone 13, we've seen a number of software bugs, such as when users were unable to unlock their iPhones using Apple Watch or the inconsistent 120Hz refresh rate support in third-party apps, which is being addressed gradually months after the release of the first iPhone with ProMotion.

In fact, as someone who's been using Android and iPhone for years, I've experience a few Apple bugs myself. For example, audio playing from an app may pause when locking the screen of the iPhone (already resolved), or the popular keyboard typing sound bug, which I believe many iPhone users still experience to this day (including me). It's when the sound of the keyboard typing suddenly goes up for no reason.

And don't get me started with Apple's hardware scandals - especially the ones that have the word "gate" in them (that's how you know Apple's really messed up). But for the most part, it seems like Apple has learned its lesson.

When will big phone-makers stop using users as Guinea Pigs?

However, this isn't exactly the case in the Android world, where quality control isn't the only issue with Android flagships.

It'a Android's desire to "be first" and deliver breakthrough technology that sometimes leads to inconsistent performance, which often puts Android's top phone-makers in unfavorable positions. 

So, let's talk about it… Why do big Android phone makers like Samsung, Google, Motorola, etc., sometimes use its users as beta testers for underdeveloped tech (especially for new form-factors), and what could be done to make Android flagships worthy for those who want fancy new features but also the reliability?

Galaxy S22 Ultra: Not the camera upgrade the S21 Ultra deserves

After the incredible Galaxy S21 Ultra, which is still one of the most versatile flagship camera phones even in 2022, it was expected that Samsung would step up and deliver an even more capable and reliable flagship for photography enthusiasts.

And although some things like the zoom quality on the S22 Ultra  have seen a noticeable improvement, unexpectedly, others have become worse. In a nutshell, the Galaxy S22 Ultra takes oversharpened and sometimes even overexposed photos during the day.

Of course, these photos are still flagship-grade, but they can be noticeably weaker when compared to images captured by phones like the Pixel 6 Pro (which likes to keep things more natural) or even the iPhone 13 Pro, which itself often likes to add excessive sharpening and highlights here and there.

If you'd like to find out more, take a look at our Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Pixel 6 Pro camera comparison.You don't have to take my word for it.

Google Pixel 6: The most embarrassing Google launch for the best Pixel ever

Speaking of the Pixel 6, I can't avoid mentioning the abundance of software bugs that have troubled Google's ambitious flagships. It's seriously hard to name all the bugs even for me, who uses a Pixel 6 Pro daily.

It was everything from a painfully slow fingerprint reader, annoyingly jumpy auto-brightness, and even a totally broken fingerprint reader, which my cousin had to tolerate for months before a fix arrived.

Speaking of fixing things, Google did indeed address most if not all of the Pixel 6's bugs, but what's hard to believe is the speed with which the search engine giant reacted to the problems.

For example, the fingerprint reader performance improved only after the third or fourth update since the launch of the Pixel 6 series, while the auto-brightness issues were tackled only a few weeks ago - about five months after the release of Google's flagships. For the record, they still aren't fully resolved.

To wrap up the Google conversation, in the midst of the buggy launch of the Pixel 6, the company even had to issue a statement where it asked its users to help it test a fix for a connectivity bug, which is… an interesting way to connect with your customers.

Galaxy S20 Ultra: Focus Pocus, Failed Autofocus

Rhyme focus with focus? Totally.

We're back with Samsung.

Of course, we can't skip the Galaxy S20 Ultra - Samsung's all-in flagship from 2020, which launched with a price tag of $1,400. While the price alone suggested the S20 Ultra would be a tough sale, Samsung made sure the phone also came with painfully inconsistent autofocus, "aided" by a ToF sensor for depth, which proved to be a recipe for disaster.

Things got slightly better after multiple software updates, but the Galaxy S20 Ultra's autofocusing issues were never fully addressed, so the camera experience on this ultra-ambitious flagship remained unreliable.

The interesting thing is that the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, from the now-dead Note lineup, launched just six months later, and this device felt like what the S20 Ultra was always meant to be (but never was).

The Note 20 Ultra had reliable autofocus and overall more consistent and refined camera system. Plus it had a further-reaching periscope zoom lens, an S-Pen, and on top of that it was also cheaper. Crazy, right?

Microsoft Duo: Windows phones weren't Microsoft's biggest flop after all

And if the Galaxy S20 Ultra wasn't a very well thought out product, here we have a proper experiment by Microsoft, which the company dared to sell for $1,400.

Sure, unlike the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Microsoft Duo could fold, but the variety of software glitches, extra-poor cameras, and underwhelming performance made the first Microsoft Duo look like a prototype.

The worst part? The Microsoft Duo 2 didn't really fix many of the above-mentioned issues. The form-factor remains bizzare, the camera is still bad, and the performance is still unreliable.

Sorry, Microsoft. Take your time with the Duo 3.

Galaxy Fold: Samsung had to apologize for this one

Samsung is like Adele on a Grammy night. It just keeps coming back on stage.

Here we have something extraordinary, and I say that without any irony because I'm talking about the first widely-available foldable phone - the Galaxy Fold. Yes, Samsung beat everyone to the punch on this one, but those who bought the $2,000 Galaxy Fold ended up being the ones who were   beaten up.

To get to the point, the first-gen Galaxy Fold felt like a prototype device that somehow managed to escape the boardroom and jump into reviewers' hands and, of course, later onto the shelves.

The ridiculously tiny front screen, massive crease and inner notch made the Fold a mishmash of the worst phone-tablet combo, but the wonky hinge and damage-prone plastic screen were what made it unfathomable.

Samsung's CEO apologized to everyone, admitting that the phone was rushed and review units were recalled. Similarly to the Microsoft Duo 2 case, Samsung is yet to address some of the imperfections of the very first Fold.

The worst part here is that we're close to seeing the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and if leaked information is anything to go by this one won't be much different than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which itself still has a narrow front screen, an inner crease, doesn't fold shut, and comes with a screen that can be damaged by... your nails. At least it isn't nearly as fragile as the first Fold.

In the end: Why do Andorid phone-makers rush to deliver new phones and features?

As hinted in the beginning, Android has a need for speed.

Much unlike Apple, if Android phone-makers want to stand out (which they do), they must be quick to bring new things to the table. It's how Huawei managed to change the phone market overnight. The thing is that Huawei's phones were progressive but still very reliable.

But the same can't be said about certain progressive Andorid phones today. At least not while we keep getting new Android flagships with unoptimized new processors, camera sensors, and software.

If we put the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22 Ultra aside, the Moto Edge X30 was the first phone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. This phone was announced in China months before it became available in more regions.

Early reviews showed poor RAM management and extremely poor video performance, which didn't take any advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1's capabilities. This is an educated guess more than a fact, but I think it's safe to assume that Lenovo's rush to be first was what led to the underwhelming performance of the Edge X30.

Naturally, a big reason for such mishaps is that too many Android phone-makers try to compete to be first in introducing some features that often perform poorly. Android phones have always needed something that makes them stand out in the sea of alternatives, so they are much more likely to take a risk than Apple's iPhone.

Why Apple wins in (slow) innovation 

Apple is in a very favorable position as there isn't another phone out there which runs iOS, so for some users deeply stuck in Apple's ecosystem, there's literally no other option because if they switch to Android, this means they might need to switch to Windows, an Android tablet, a different pair of earbuds, smartwatch, etc.

But I dare to say I've also noticed another interesting pattern, this time from the customer's perspective. It appears as if Android users are more inclined to tolerate bugs and even hardware problems on phones because they are way more likely to opt for cutting-edge tech (on flagships), which isn't always mature. Or, some Android users pay less for a budget device without having high expectations, which naturally leads them to believe it's OK for the phone to underperform.

Also, when it comes to holding phone-makers accountable for bugs and hardware issues, Android brands don't have the same amount of social media attention as Apple, so when problems do arise, they don't always "blow up" and reach scandal-level hype like some Apple stories.

Let's start making reliable phones

Regardless, the one thing I know is that reviewers, or let alone customers, shouldn't be the ones who test-drive phones which cost more than a used car in Eastern Europe.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra should have a reliable camera right out of the box, given that its predecessor did and that the camera experience is this phone's main focus. The Pixel 6 should've had a usable fingerprint reader right when it launched, not five months later. And experiments like the Galaxy Fold and Microsoft Duo just shouldn't exist.

Take Oppo, for instance. Upon launching the Oppo Find N, the Chinese brand revealed that they've been working on prototypes for years and years to come to that final product, which at first glance looks much more refined than any foldable phone Samsun's ever released, and the South Korean company is soon expected to launch the fourth iteration of the Z Fold in August 2022.

Sorry not sorry to bring up Apple again, but you just know that the iPhone-maker just won't make its customers pay $2,000 for a prototype of a foldable iPhone. Sure, Apple is slow at innovation, but that’s partly why its customers find Apple products less risky.

On the bright side, there's plenty of time for improvement. Slab phones are going as strong as ever, so Samsung, Google, Motorola, and even Apple will have plenty of chances to redeem themselves and sell phones that work as they should.

And when it comes to the cutting edge stuff, we're still waiting for the real slab replacement - the rollable/slidable phones. It's expected that someone between Samsung and Oppo will be the first manufacturer to launch such a device sometime in 2023, and I just want to say it right now:

Please. We don't want another Galaxy Fold. Push it back to 2024 if necessary. Make it usable. We shouldn't have to beta-test your phones for you.