I was referring to the android updates. When it comes to those all manufacturers suck.
On the other hand, I don't think you are really fair to Samsung. I will not defend their build quality (I really can't), or their software support; but credit when credit due - they have been pushing other manufacturers to up their game; Galaxy 1 was good, galaxy 2 was revolutionary, Note 1,2,3 have been general success. And now, even though I agree this 5 doesn't really justify its price tag, it is still pushing other phones to be waterproof (which is the trend I would really like to continue)
What I would like to see:
- huge battery; I am talking about 4000mAh+
- sd card slot
- good build quality; Plastic can be used, but it has to be well made
- software support
optional:
- removable battery would be nice, but I can leave without this
- waterproof
what I am willing to sacrifice:
- Screen resolutions over 1080p (which seems to be the trend now); for smaller screens probably even 720p is enough. In fact if it can increase my battery life I would preffer it
- thinness; to manufacturers - don't be afraid to make beefier phone if you are going to cram a bigger battery inside
- Super-mega-ultra! camera with 123142 jigga pixels; just decent camera is enough, I will make better pictures anyway with 100$ camera without crappy phone optics
- fancy sensors for pulse, blood pressure, movement or measuring size and frequency of my farts. It really will not be the "killer feature" that makes me buy
- latest and greatest CPU that squeezes the last drop of performance in benchmark tests...which I don't really need in everyday use. Don't get me wrong, I would like snappy phone as much as the next guy, but not for the downside of battery usage and extra premium price
- fancy speakers; If I am in quietness of my home I will hear it with crappy ones also; And people who use it in public should be shot anyway
I agree with you with Apple, they are assholes, but they make good hardware. New one from HTC is really, really good. Sony is back in the game. LG has some nice phones. Motorola is also really nice (Razr MAXX is serving me nicely), but we shall see how they continue under new management;
Samsung lives on reputation, but not for long. If they continue this trend with sub-par premium offers, they will have to persuade customers in some other way to buy their phones (hint: Tizen).
You may end up liking them