Samsung has incorporated seamless updates into its flagship line with the release of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra models. According to tech expert Mishaal Rahman, these devices bypass the traditional A/B update system from Android 7.1, opting instead for the newer virtual A/B update methodology.
Understanding Seamless Updates on Android
Android devices feature two update methods: Non-A/B and A/B updates. Introduced with Android 7.1 Nougat, A/B or seamless updates enable the phone to remain functional during updates through dual partition sets.
An update is applied to the inactive partition, and upon reboot, the system switches to the updated one. If the update fails, the phone reverts to the original setup. In contrast, non-A/B updates render the device unusable during the update process, without an easy fallback option.
Why the Delay?
Further explaining, Mishaal Rahman on Android Police notes that the original A/B system doubled the space required for system updates, which was a significant drawback.
Google introduced the virtual A/B system in Android 11, which uses compressed snapshots instead of partition duplication, thus reducing storage requirements. This has now become the standard, leading to the phasing out of non-A/B updates with Android 15.
Samsung’s Adoption
Despite these innovations, Samsung was slow to adopt seamless updates, with the Galaxy A55 being the only model until now. Rahman confirmed using apps like DevCheck and Termux that the Galaxy S25 series supports this update mechanism, signaling Samsung’s move towards enhancing user update experiences, potentially influencing future device updates.