It looks like Samsung will continue to be late to the game when it comes to mobile operating system firmware updates.
The manufacturer was not exactly at the launch party, so to speak, of the new version of Microsoft’s new smartphone platform. The Samsung Focus on AT&T and Samsung Omnia 7 in locations outside the US are still waiting for clearance before they can begin the upgrade process.
Meanwhile, of the several handsets that are eligible, 50% of users have been selected to perform the update. Compatible phone owners are being chosen in a completely random order so as to test the process and not clog networks.
“In some cases, this can have interesting consequences: A family, for example, can have identical Windows Phones, yet only one phone might get an update notification,” wrote Microsoft’s Eric Hautala in a blog post yesterday.
All of that means nothing, though, if your phone isn’t on the upgrade list yet. The Omnia 7, specifically, is having trouble with the update file, according to Samsung.
This is unfortunately not out of the norm for the mobile heavyweight. Samsung was accused of intentionally delaying Android updates to some of its phones so long that consumers would get frustrated and buy a new Samsung phone – the company denied those allegations.
Nevertheless, there was no denying the delays. Also, when Microsoft had to roll out a very minor Windows Phone path earlier this year, many Samsung phone owners reported their device crashing.
So while there is always excitement and buzz around firmware upgrades, it seems to be more of a headache than anything else for Samsung.
