Which brand offers the best software update in the midrange segment in Nepal?

One area where Apple's iPhones have always had an upper hand over their Android counterpart is the software upgrade policy. Android manufacturers launch a flood of devices every year but only provide support to a handful of smartphones, that too for a relatively short duration. Here, we are comparing the Android software update trend in different midrange smartphones in Nepal. For this, we have taken three devices from the major online/offline brands over different lineups and compared their current Android version against the one they were launched at. These all are mid-range smartphones that were launched about a year back. We have tried to pick phones from different lineup/series wherever possible to make the Android update trend more apparent.

Android update trend in Nepal

#1. Samsung

Samsung released a wide range of devices in 2020 and most of them have already received Android 11 updates. The company has also been killing it in terms of the monthly software updates. Almost all of the new devices excluding the one with 0x and Core moniker will receive 4 years of security updates.

#2. Poco, Redmi, Xiaomi

Xiaomi has already rolled out Android 11 devices for Mi Note 10 Lite. Similarly, Poco X3 also got the update last month. However, the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Pro Max haven't got the update yet which is sad seeing how they are among the most popular phones from the company in 2020.

#3. Realme

Realme UI has gotten lighter over time. However, the company still needs to improve on its software update game. Realme refreshed its number series twice last year but neither of them has gotten the stable version of the latest Android skin yet.

#4. Oppo and Vivo

We have categorized two brands together as both are offline-centric brands under the BBK umbrella. The two companies do not openly talk about software upgrade policy and are also among the slowest in terms of updates. That being said, it was Vivo who first brought a phone running on Android 11 out-of-the-box in Nepal. More specifically, the Vivo V20. It then switched from FunTouch OS to OriginOS and it's unclear if the devices running on the former will ever get updated to OriginOS.

#5. OnePlus

OnePlus guaranteed three years of major Android upgrade even before Samsung did. However, its recent budget and mid-range devices like Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 will only receive one major upgrade. So, OnePlus has actually gone backward in this regard.

Android update trend in Nepal: Conclusion

So when it comes to Android software updates in mid-range devices, Samsung reigns supreme in Nepal. And the best thing is they have kept improving in recent times. Brands and like Xiaomi and Realme, though having some of the most popular mid-range devices in the segment, have not delivered at what is expected of them. Still, if you are geek enough you can unlock the bootloader, install a custom recovery on these devices and try out new features by installing a custom ROM. Coming to the BBK umbrella, OnePlus was great at updates when it launched few devices per year. However, it doesn’t look interested continuing this legacy in the mid-range category. On the other hand, Oppo and Vivo were never really known for their software updates. It's like those situations where you save yourself from getting disappointed by not having any expectations in the first place. So, are you satisfied by the frequency of Android update that brands roll out in Nepal? Let us know in the comments section.

• Check out our comparison of the Galaxy A72 and Realme X7 Pro.