One of the great things about Android is the sheer variety of handsets that run it – all at different price points, with different specs and features, and even different interfaces. As a result, if you find something that annoys you about one Android phone, you can usually find an alternative without that annoyance.
Still, there are some things that many, most, or even all of the best Android phones suffer from, and I’ve listed five of my biggest common annoyances below.
1. Waiting for software updates
When Apple rolls out an iOS update, it’s available to all compatible phones almost immediately, so most iPhones are probably running the latest software – complete with bug fixes, security patches, and new features – within a few days of it launching.
But when Google rolls out an Android update, you could be waiting months for it to arrive on your phone. Sure, if you pick up a Pixel, then you’ll get access to updates on day one, but with other brands, that wait can be a very variable length of time.
This is primarily because other manufacturers put their own twists on Android, so they need time to do their own tweaking, as well as ensure the new software runs well on their various hardware configurations.
So, there’s generally a good reason for these delays, as they allow for such a big variety of Android interfaces and software features. But this also means you can be in for a frustratingly long wait to get new features and fixes, even if you’re using a high-end phone.
2. They mostly lack a good face unlock
Another area where iPhones excel is Face ID, which is a slick, reliable, and secure way to unlock your phone. On Android, many phones have face unlock systems of their own, but few of them could be described in the same terms.
The vast majority of these systems are less secure than Face ID as they rely on 2D image recognition, while Face ID uses 3D depth mapping. That means you could, in theory, more easily trick an Android phone with a photo of someone’s face – and it’s also why iPhones have bigger cut-outs in their screens, as more components are needed for Apple’s approach.
On top of that, while some Android phones feel similarly fast and reliable to unlock using facial recognition, others don’t, all of which is why the majority of Android phones additionally have a fingerprint sensor – for anyone who wants more security or reliability than their face unlock systems allow.
And fingerprint sensors are fine, but they just can’t match the convenience of simply looking at your phone to have it unlock.
3. The lack of certain apps and games
There are lots of excellent apps and games on Android, but it lacks some big-name ones that you can get on iOS.
On the app front, iOS has polished and powerful things like the Halide camera app and the Fantastical calendar app, both of which are impressive replacements for their stock alternatives.
As for games, you can get AAA releases like Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village on iOS, but these aren’t available on Android.
And those are just a few examples – there are plenty of other high-profile apps and games that also aren’t available on Android, despite being options on iOS. So that’s disappointing.
4. The bloatware
Not all Android phones have bloatware, but many do, even at the high end. At a minimum, you’re often getting duplicate apps, with both the Google version and the manufacturer’s version included on phones.
In many cases – particularly on lower-end phones – you’re also getting various third-party apps installed, due to deals the phone maker has made.
You can often uninstall these apps if you don’t want them, but having to clean house on every new Android phone you buy can get tedious.
5. The short support window for some phones
It always used to be the case that Android phones wouldn’t get many years of updates, with even high-end handsets often limited to just two or three years.
Thankfully, that’s not true anymore – many high-end models will now get five or more years of updates, with the Samsung Galaxy S25, for example, getting as many as seven years.
But that’s still not the case with all phones, and particularly some lower-end models, such as some mid-range and lower Motorola and Nokia handsets. And, of course, if you’re buying an older phone, then in lots of cases it won’t be – or have been – eligible for many updates.
That’s unfortunate, as it can make buying a cheaper phone something of a false economy, since it will, in many cases, need replacing sooner than a more expensive one.
Those are the main things that bother me about Android devices, even though, in many cases, they rank among the best phones. But what annoys you about them? Let me know in the comments below.
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