Samsung’s Inconsistent Rollout of Seamless Updates Continues: Galaxy A36 Gets It, A26 Doesn’t
By Staff Writer . Mobile Software News . April 16, 2025
Samsung’s staggered and inconsistent approach to seamless updates continues to frustrate users and Android enthusiasts alike. While the Galaxy S25 series and the Galaxy A55 signaled the beginning of Samsung’s embrace of the seamless update feature, the rollout has proven to be far from uniform—even among its latest devices.
Galaxy A36 Supports Seamless Updates, A26 Does Not
The newly launched Galaxy A36 has confirmed support for seamless (A/B) updates, according to its first OTA rollout in Europe. Unfortunately, the Galaxy A26, launched in the same series and timeframe, does not support the feature—leaving users baffled over Samsung’s inconsistent strategy.
This decision is even more puzzling given that seamless updates must be integrated into the device from the factory level, as they require dual system partitions to work. That means the A26 will never support this feature via future updates.
What Are Seamless Updates, and Why Do They Matter?
Introduced by Google as part of Android 7.0 Nougat, seamless updates allow system updates to be installed in the background on an inactive partition, while the user continues using their phone on the active one. When the installation is complete, only a quick reboot is needed to switch partitions—dramatically reducing update downtime.
It also reduces the risk of update failures, since if something goes wrong, the system can simply revert to the last known good partition.
Slow Adoption Raises Questions
Samsung has historically been slow to implement seamless updates—even though many other OEMs adopted the feature years ago. Despite Google strongly encouraging seamless updates for new Android devices, the Galaxy A26’s exclusion seems to fly in the face of modern Android best practices.
The Galaxy A56 has yet to receive its first OTA update, and it remains unclear whether Samsung will include seamless updates support. Given that its predecessor, the A55, does support it, there’s hope—but no guarantee.
This inconsistency adds to the growing perception that Samsung’s update rollout strategy lacks clarity, even as it continues to push for dominance in the mid-range and budget smartphone segments.
