Firstly, the updated Android security patch is from April 2022. Yes, Qualcomm, or rather ASUS, who is responsible for providing software support to the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders, is seeding the April security patch at a time when we are expecting Samsung to release the July patch. This is disappointing, to say the least. If you can’t provide updates monthly, at least seed the latest security patch when you do. This is not the kind of support a $1,500 phone deserves. Well, not everyone may have paid for it as Qualcomm gave it away for free to those who attended the Snapdragon 888 event. While that still doesn’t justify the poor software support, think about those who purchased the phone at its full price, for whatever reason. Even if you ignore the outdated security patch, the latest update is reportedly leaving users with a broken Google Pay app. A few users have taken to Reddit to report that the Google payments app no longer works on their Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders after installing the new OTA (over the air) package. If only Qualcomm could do one thing right to its only phone.
The outlook is gloomy for the Qualcomm phone
Qualcomm announced the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders in July 2021, with sales beginning late in August that year. Priced at a whopping $1,500, everyone had reasonable expectations for this phone. In terms of specs and day-to-day performance, the first-ever Qualcomm phone didn’t disappoint. However, the software support for it has been pathetic, or even worse. For the first few months, the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders received updates quite regularly. It picked up monthly security updates until December. But it was all downhill after that. An update in march finally seeded the January patch to the device. Now, three months later, the phone is picking up another update with an outdated security patch. The outlook is pretty gloomy too. Qualcomm says it doesn’t plan to roll out software updates for the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders more frequently than once every 2-3 months. Those updates won’t likely come with the latest security patches either. Moreover, there’s no telling if the device will get Android 12. As a Redditor pointed out, the official listing for the phone on the ASUS website previously mentioned “Android 11 (Android 12 update available)” under the Operating System section. But it has been recently changed to just Android 11. Has Qualcomm quietly pulled the rug from under the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders users? Time will tell.
