International users of the Samsung Galaxy S10 received the Android 10 update a couple of weeks ago, and finally, U.S. carriers appear to be rolling out Android 10 to its users. The Samsung Galaxy S10 family will be getting the Android 10 update along with the December security patch as well as Samsung's One UI 2.0.
Carriers Will be Rolling Out Android 10
The United States has always had a peculiar situation when it came to Android O.S. Updates. They often get large Android updates months later than international markets, and for a variety of reasons. First of all is that the U.S. market tends to have different components or even chipsets compared to their Asian counterparts. While a Samsung phone will have the Korean giant's own Exynos chipset, the U.S. market, as well as some others, will contain a Snapdragon SoC. This means additional testing will be necessary on Samsung's side for the different chipset.
Another reason is that the updates in the U.S. are delivered by the carriers. This is one of the many customizations that U.S. carriers are able to add to the devices they provide. Others include adding their brand name, adding their own applications, and locking the device to their network. Making sure all of these work further delay Android updates in the U.S.
The Big Four Carriers
According to a report by The Verge, they've contacted the big four wireless carriers regarding the Android 10 update. Here are their replies:
- AT&T had no information to share regarding the update.
- Sprint confirmed that the Galaxy S10 has received the update yesterday, while the Note 10, Note 10 Plus, and S10 5G will be getting the update soon.
- T-Mobile did not respond to The Verge but a support document on the company website lists the release date on December 15.
- Verizon has also confirmed that the update is available for the Galaxy S10 although users may have to check for the update manually.
With three of the four big carriers updating just under three weeks after the international release, this is a good sign that Samsung is improving its update delivery. Another notable factor may be Google's Project Treble, which aims to streamline the process of updating Android, and it seems to be working thus far.
Android 10 Features and One UI 2.0 Improvements
The Android 10 update for Samsung Galaxy S10 devices has been available for international users for a few weeks now, and the changes have been notable. Some of the changes we've seen since the release of the beta last October include the enhanced dark mode as well the enhanced tools for digital wellness. Google has required all manufacturers to add Google's digital wellness app and parental controls or their own equivalent, although some have been complaining its addition being further bloatware.
The highlight of the Android 10 update is Samsung's new One UI 2.0, a refresh of their older One U.I. The refresh brings with it overall improvements on usability, on top of the enhanced dark mode. Notifications are now less intrusive, especially if you're gaming or watching a video, showing only the necessary information. Other visual improvements include more animations and gestures, improving one-handed control.
