RIP Tab S4; talk about mistreated

[z28camaroman]

I want to preface this post with my experience and how it plays into what I am about to share. I got the Tab S4 to go along with my Galaxy S9+ around Black Friday of 2018. They were comparable in cost (around $650 US, baring the keyboard), so I expected a similar experience. Boy was I wrong.

The Tab S4's Snapdragon 835 wasn't bad, but the 4 GB of RAM was noticeably a hinderance to a smooth experience when compared to the S9+'s 6 GB of RAM. The S4's screen claimed to be HDR, but I, as a stupid consumer, thought that actually meant HDR10, as such a standard would imply. It did not. HDR content didn't work on the Tab S4's screen, no matter what service I used, including YouTube, Amazon Prime and Netflix. Lastly, though, was the software. Where my S9+ got OS updates first and MONHTLY security patches, my S4 was a complete afterthought. The less frequent quarterly security patches were often late and OS updates arrived after the cheaper A-series phones.

Fast forward to today, the Tab S4 is officially past it's 2 years of half-hearted software support. It got downgraded from late "quarterly software patches" to "other regular patches", which means whenever Samsung may consider doing a software patch. Conversely, the Galaxy S9+ is STILL in the monthly security patch category, despite coming out earlier in 2018. It also just received One UI 2.5, whereas the Tab S4 may never.

This is ridiculous. It's not just disrespectful to anyone who purchased the Tab S4, but also bodes very poorly for Tab S6 and S7/S7+ owners. The Tab S7+ is the best Android tablet, period, but it's only getting quarterly security patches and likely will get immediately demoted to "other regular patches" the moment it hits its 2 year mark, whereas the S20 and Note 20 will be sitting pretty with continued monthly security patch support at that time. As an educated consumer, I want parity between my flagship, top-shelf, costing more than they're worth, Samsung devices.

I have been preaching this message for a couple months now but cannot stress enough that at least the brand new tablets, the Tab S7 and S7+, should be having software support parity with the S20 and Note 20 Series. We need it officially stated, in writing and proven by seeing the actual patches.

If you don't want your S7/S7+ to have the same fate as the Tab S4, please consider spreading the message and raising awareness with Samsung. Tell them "We want monthly security patches and timely OS updates for the Tab S7 and S7+".

[littlephone]

As a current Note20 user and previously a Galaxy A user, I understand how sad it is not to have monthly update. I think Samsung could push the One UI to multiple phones or devices at the same time by GSI. That saves time for Samsung to implement ROM specifically for every device.

I agree that devices with cheaper prices deserve less care, but Tab S series is a flagship, which really deserves monthly update

[Fiona26]

I own a note 20 ultra, was going to get the s7+. It was on offer on prime day from amazon. I read on here someone saying about the quarterly updates. So I went for the new ipad air 2020. Was I silly to do this? most probably. But why doesn't the tab s7 have regular security patches like there flagship phones. Its not cheap.

[astra4]

Mine is a Galaxy Tab S4 and I'm still hopeful that there will be further software upgrades even though Samsung hasn't promised anything.

How about doing even less security patches and work on compiling Android 11 for the Galaxy Tab S4 instead? And then of course Android 12 and so on until the next version of Android won't run on the hardware anymore?

[AdrianVonEpic]

I feel you. The only reason they even do that to us is to maintain a perception of value in the new phones. Such trash. I mean, on ali Express all day long you can get 7" screens, 12gb ram, 512gb storage, at 3000x2000 res. 

I've got a tab s6 that i picked up for photography and art, THINKING the camera would be comparable, but nah. Despite it being able to do 4k video, it can't do slow motion video like the s4 phone i had 8 YEARS AGO. 

Honestly someone should sue them over this *****. We get treated like ***** on our tablets and what they let us do with them when we pay a small fortune for them, too.