6 ms·

Samsung really needs to just flush their entire software division. It's all garbage. Their android software is a frustrating joke. Tizen is a hot mess. Ever

by snarfy 6y ago

Samsung really needs to just flush their entire software division. It's all garbage. Their android software is a frustrating joke. Tizen is a hot mess. Every issue I've ever had with a samsung product was with their software, and it's why I've sworn off the brand as a whole.

burnte 6y ago
They make amazing phones, but yes, their software overlay is trash, IMO. I have a Samsung TV too and don't have it connected to the network so I don't have to deal with the smart TV crap.
- bitlevel 6y ago
  Samsung's site selling Ads to those who buy them states clearly that TV's, Phones and Tablets are all monitored and viable options for delivery of ads, and the accurate determination of those who use them. See for yourself: https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/ https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/
  - ficklepickle 6y ago
    Their privacy policy is terrifying. They can access anything on a Samsung device. Some highlights: When you purchase a Samsung product, create a Samsung Account or register for or use a Service, you may provide us with personal information such as: -information you store on your device, such as photos, contacts, text logs, touch interactions, settings and calendar information -recordings of your voice when you use voice commands to control a Service or contact our Customer Service team -location data, including (1) the precise geolocation of your device if you consent to the collection of this data and (2) information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers that may be transmitted to us when you use certain Services. https://www.samsung.com/us/account/privacy-policy/ https://www.samsung.com/us/account/privacy-policy/
- simooooo 6y ago
  Hardware is nice but the software is a minefield of dark UI patterns. I think my S8+ had 10 or more prompts I had to reject to not have my data absolutely scooped up. Still found it syncin photos to some cloud service
stallmanite 6y ago
The management maybe. I have a hard time believing that the rank and file engineers get to call the shots on this garbage. I have no special insight into how Samsung works internally though.
- RealStickman_ 6y ago
  Maybe I'm naive, but I think this is true in basically every company engaging in user-hostile behaviour.
- jamiek88 6y ago
  Just following orders huh?
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- petre 6y ago
  > I have no special insight into how Samsung works internally though. The typical culture at one of these conglomerates is highly paternalistic in nature. Much of the environment is defined by the chairman who acts as a "fatherly-figure" to his subordinates. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol
- jiggawatts 6y ago
  I've talked with coworkers who visited the Samsung mobile division headquarters. They all reported that it was a horrorshow, top-to-bottom. Things like: They hired a contractor to modify a website used for thousands of staff to log in, but they had him modify the production system live because they were too cheap to build a dev system. Several days of everyone sitting on their hands in the morning ensued. Several. Another fun one was that instead of using Access Control Lists and unique accounts for Active Directory security, like rest of the world does it, everyone is an admin, there's no security, but your IP address is logged. You are your network address, it's assigned to you like a user name. If anything 'bad' is logged from it, you are blamed and/or fired. So, it's basically network security through punishment instead of... you know... actual security.
TacticalTable 6y ago
I had been getting frustrated with my Oneplus and upgrade to an S10, and every once in awhile I wish that I hadn't. It's death by a thousand cuts, from engineers and management who have no respect for the user. Off the top of my head, within the past week, I've had: * The wifi slows down to <1mbps every morning. Restarting wifi fixes this. * The entire bixby button. It can finally be remapped, but occasional double taps (like using volume in the dark) will still open it. * The weather 'Current temperature' widget updates every two days. Current temperature. Current. Two days. * Random notifications to sign up for Samsung services that I don't want. You cannot swipe them away. You have to open the app and decline their EULA to get rid of it. * Disappearing notifications * Needing to reboot every week, or getting slowdowns * Only two years of updates (an entire android problem) Obviously all of these problems can be fixed, and many aren't exclusive to samsung, but dealing with all of them continuously is just grating. I had been planning to buy a Samsung Frame TV before I heard all this stuff about their ads.
- gregoryl 6y ago
  Hopefully you've found the instructions to remove bixby via adb. It works, side effect free and has survived multiple firmware updates so far.
  - Legogris 6y ago
    I didn't realize this was doable, thank you!! Do you have a link or list for services to disable? I went through this list[0] for my S9 and at least I got rid of the Bixby button, the Samsung Share shortcuts, and a few other crapwares. Some Samsung junk still left though, and names are cryptic enough that I'm not sure what would or wouldn't break (for me, obviously depends on what you use). [0]: https://github.com/AlexQuiniou/remove-bloatware-galaxy-s10e https://github.com/AlexQuiniou/remove-bloatware-galaxy-s10e
- 3np 6y ago
  Don't forget all those bundled spyware and bloatware services/apps of which most can be disabled through arduous labour but then magically get re-enabled every time you update the OS.
trynumber9 6y ago
I replaced my Pixel 2 with a Samsung S20 and I haven't had any problems with the software. In fact I like it. Perhaps I have poor taste in phones but it seems it isn't just me given their sales relative to Google phones.
cageface 6y ago
Samsung's current OneUI is actually pretty good and adds a lot of useful features to stock Android. I also like the way they've integrated the s pen on the Note recently. Older versions of TouchWiz had a deservedly bad reputation but I'm pretty happy with the software on my Note 20 and the hardware is fantastic.
- Wintereise 6y ago
  +1, I have a S20 and have absolutely no complaints about OneUI.
m463 6y ago
Unfortunately it's the way companies make money after the sale of the device. The answer is to make sure they don't sell the device in the first place.
delfinom 6y ago
At one point...not that many years ago....samsung was using excel spreadsheets for bug tracking in house....and that's the beginning of the rabbit home. Let them sink in.

by snarfy 6y ago

burnte 6y ago

They make amazing phones, but yes, their software overlay is trash, IMO. I have a Samsung TV too and don't have it connected to the network so I don't have to deal with the smart TV crap.

bitlevel 6y ago
Samsung's site selling Ads to those who buy them states clearly that TV's, Phones and Tablets are all monitored and viable options for delivery of ads, and the accurate determination of those who use them. See for yourself: https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/ https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/
- ficklepickle 6y ago
  Their privacy policy is terrifying. They can access anything on a Samsung device. Some highlights: When you purchase a Samsung product, create a Samsung Account or register for or use a Service, you may provide us with personal information such as: -information you store on your device, such as photos, contacts, text logs, touch interactions, settings and calendar information -recordings of your voice when you use voice commands to control a Service or contact our Customer Service team -location data, including (1) the precise geolocation of your device if you consent to the collection of this data and (2) information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers that may be transmitted to us when you use certain Services. https://www.samsung.com/us/account/privacy-policy/ https://www.samsung.com/us/account/privacy-policy/
simooooo 6y ago
Hardware is nice but the software is a minefield of dark UI patterns. I think my S8+ had 10 or more prompts I had to reject to not have my data absolutely scooped up. Still found it syncin photos to some cloud service

stallmanite 6y ago

The management maybe. I have a hard time believing that the rank and file engineers get to call the shots on this garbage. I have no special insight into how Samsung works internally though.

RealStickman_ 6y ago
Maybe I'm naive, but I think this is true in basically every company engaging in user-hostile behaviour.
jamiek88 6y ago
Just following orders huh?
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
petre 6y ago
> I have no special insight into how Samsung works internally though. The typical culture at one of these conglomerates is highly paternalistic in nature. Much of the environment is defined by the chairman who acts as a "fatherly-figure" to his subordinates. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol
jiggawatts 6y ago
I've talked with coworkers who visited the Samsung mobile division headquarters. They all reported that it was a horrorshow, top-to-bottom. Things like: They hired a contractor to modify a website used for thousands of staff to log in, but they had him modify the production system live because they were too cheap to build a dev system. Several days of everyone sitting on their hands in the morning ensued. Several. Another fun one was that instead of using Access Control Lists and unique accounts for Active Directory security, like rest of the world does it, everyone is an admin, there's no security, but your IP address is logged. You are your network address, it's assigned to you like a user name. If anything 'bad' is logged from it, you are blamed and/or fired. So, it's basically network security through punishment instead of... you know... actual security.

TacticalTable 6y ago

I had been getting frustrated with my Oneplus and upgrade to an S10, and every once in awhile I wish that I hadn't. It's death by a thousand cuts, from engineers and management who have no respect for the user. Off the top of my head, within the past week, I've had: * The wifi slows down to <1mbps every morning. Restarting wifi fixes this. * The entire bixby button. It can finally be remapped, but occasional double taps (like using volume in the dark) will still open it. * The weather 'Current temperature' widget updates every two days. Current temperature. Current. Two days. * Random notifications to sign up for Samsung services that I don't want. You cannot swipe them away. You have to open the app and decline their EULA to get rid of it. * Disappearing notifications * Needing to reboot every week, or getting slowdowns * Only two years of updates (an entire android problem) Obviously all of these problems can be fixed, and many aren't exclusive to samsung, but dealing with all of them continuously is just grating. I had been planning to buy a Samsung Frame TV before I heard all this stuff about their ads.

gregoryl 6y ago
Hopefully you've found the instructions to remove bixby via adb. It works, side effect free and has survived multiple firmware updates so far.
- Legogris 6y ago
  I didn't realize this was doable, thank you!! Do you have a link or list for services to disable? I went through this list[0] for my S9 and at least I got rid of the Bixby button, the Samsung Share shortcuts, and a few other crapwares. Some Samsung junk still left though, and names are cryptic enough that I'm not sure what would or wouldn't break (for me, obviously depends on what you use). [0]: https://github.com/AlexQuiniou/remove-bloatware-galaxy-s10e https://github.com/AlexQuiniou/remove-bloatware-galaxy-s10e
3np 6y ago
Don't forget all those bundled spyware and bloatware services/apps of which most can be disabled through arduous labour but then magically get re-enabled every time you update the OS.

trynumber9 6y ago

I replaced my Pixel 2 with a Samsung S20 and I haven't had any problems with the software. In fact I like it. Perhaps I have poor taste in phones but it seems it isn't just me given their sales relative to Google phones.

cageface 6y ago

Samsung's current OneUI is actually pretty good and adds a lot of useful features to stock Android. I also like the way they've integrated the s pen on the Note recently. Older versions of TouchWiz had a deservedly bad reputation but I'm pretty happy with the software on my Note 20 and the hardware is fantastic.

Wintereise 6y ago
+1, I have a S20 and have absolutely no complaints about OneUI.

m463 6y ago

Unfortunately it's the way companies make money after the sale of the device. The answer is to make sure they don't sell the device in the first place.

delfinom 6y ago

At one point...not that many years ago....samsung was using excel spreadsheets for bug tracking in house....and that's the beginning of the rabbit home. Let them sink in.