Samsung will offer software update to fix app throttling issues on its devices
Following numerous reports regarding Samsung throttling the performance of some apps, the company has now issued a statement. Spokesperson Kelly Yeo told The Verge that Samsung plans to roll out a software update soon that will return optimisation control to users.
“We value the feedback we receive about our products and after careful consideration, we plan to roll out a software update soon so users can control the performance while running game apps,” it reads. To optimise the gaming performance on its phones, Samsung had introduced the GOS (Game Optimising Service), which would help reduce battery consumption and overheating issues. Users, however, raised concerns regarding numerous performance issues, where apps such as Netflix, Instagram. Even the device’s default phone dialer would run poorly.
The performance throttle was affecting around 10,000 applications on the Google Play Store, with benchmarking apps like 3DMark being an exception. This would prevent the lags and other optimisation issues from ever revealing themselves.
However, a Korean YouTuber was able to trick GOS into assessing 3D Mark as Genshin Impact (one of the few games that showed a performance dip). Upon running a side–side benchmark, they found that the score was reduced more than half. The GOS app comes pre-installed on the Galaxy S21 and some older devices, and might even be non-removable on the Galaxy S22.
In an effort to provide better gaming performance, Samsung was essentially throttling its power on other apps without letting the users know – conserving battery life. This is not the first time a phone company has slowed down performance on its devices. Apple confirmed these claims back in 2017, claiming that it was done in order to prevent battery issues and unexpected shutdowns.
OnePlus had also taken similar actions with its flagship 9-series in 2021. The company admitted to throttling the performance of about 300 applications on the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, including Google Chrome.
