7 years of promised software/features updates

[LoveBytes]

If the s25 ultra can't get the s26 ultra updates from a year behind, how can it make it to the 7 years of promised software/features updates? Wouldn't it be outdated within 3 years? 

[Jack2035]

Right doesn't make sense!

[AAbbott]

Imagine for a minute that you are the CEO of a giant manufacturing company. You are in business to make a product and a profit. Hardware innovation has pretty much leveled out, and you promised 7 years of updates to older devices, but you still need to keep moving and offer and sell new products. The new product may offer some software innovations over the earlier products and, even though the older products have basically the same hardware and are capable of handling any software changes, you decide that only the new products will have the new, exclusive, features. This is not gatekeeping, it's enticement for those users who want those new features to upgrade their devices in order to get them.

What makes anyone think that just because they bought an earlier model that may or may not be capable of handling the newest features, that they are entitled to every new feature the newest product has? You were already promised that your devices will not be obsolete in two years, as was in the past, and now upgrading is an active choice, rather than a forced choice, one makes.

Sorry if people think that they are being cheated because they are not getting some new features of the newest model, but if one *wants* that particular feature, they will have to decide how badly they want it, and whether it's worth it to buy the new product to have it.

[Mujibar]

Keeping certain "advanced" features exclusive to a new device is one thing. This is a *setting* that's not being made available. Owners of slightly older devices have to jump through an app-installation hoop in order to enable it on hardware that is more than capable of handling it. There's a difference.

[Robin621k]

I can understand not giving some features in the NATIVE camera app, but we are talking about an app and a toggle in that app that should be available to any device capable of utilizing that toggle.

[Roserosenrosen]

Samsung committed to feature upgrades for the fold 6 and now they're nerfing the AI software and other features. Same on watch. Unacceptable. Moving to Apple or Google who has respect for their customers and doesn't treat them like idiots. I absolutely love Samsung products but their business practices are despicable. I've had over 20 phones, TVs tablets and many other devices and I'm finally done. Hello Google or Apple.

[AAbbott]

They are gatekeeping so that those that *want* the feature will update - I'd venture that most people don't know or don't care about that feature of the camera.  As was mentioned, the option  is available in Expert Raw (whatever that is).  There is no point for a company to come out with an upgraded model with new features and give it to all the older model phones.  I'm not buying a new device unless they come out with a feature I really, really want or need - then I decide just how badly I want or need it. If it's something like a camera setting that I will use once in 1,000 photo shots, not going to happen.  If I'm a professional or a manic photophile and would use it all the time, then it might be worth if for me to trade up (or get bent out of shape that they are gatekeeping).