This is unfortunately one of the frustrations in dealing with Verizon. Everyone knows the carriers all drag their feet with updates they have any kind of control over, which is why Apple took direct control of their own updates. They would probably abandon updates completely if they knew they could get away with it (just look at those unfortunate Windows Phone users). Google pushes direct updates to the phones they have direct control over (the Nexus phones), but unfortunately because of the nature of Android as an open platform, they don't control all of its splintered variants from Samsung, HTC, LG, etc. Granted, Samsung was surprisingly fast in pushing 5.1.1 and hopefully will also be fast in pushing out 6.0, but again we go back to the original issue of Verizon dragging its feet in certifying the release.
At this point, when it comes time to get a new phone, I may well go with a Nexus or iPhone, because I'm really tired of the glacial pace at which Verizon does things, which is unfortunate because I've always liked my Samsung Note phones. The whole issue of their pricing structure is a separate thing. Supposedly they recently announced that all grandfathered unlimited plans (like mine) are getting a price hike in November. I've been off-contract for years now, so we'll see what happens. At this point, my frustration level with VZW is very high (as are a lot of people's) and even though I've been loyal for over a decade plus to them, my patience is honestly really wearing thin. It's no secret that the 5.0 release for our phones dramatically reduced their usability and reliability. Unless they're skipping 5.1.1 and going straight to 6.0, I don't see why it's taking so long. At this point, the only way to keep my phone usable is to reboot it every now and again (usually once or twice a day) to clear the memory.
If any decision makers are actually reading any of these posts, let me clarify my point. You're not doing the company's image any favors. All this does is solidify the notion in people's minds that the less control the carriers have over the phones, the better. Apple has complete and total control over their updates and they never encounter issues like these. Verizon has long blocked Nexus phones from their network (until the Nexus 6), but I haven't really seen any issues like this with them either. But lo and behold, issues galore with Samsung phones and surprise, we're all still waiting on the updates that will fix our phones nearly half a year on.
I must have been dreaming that the other phone carriers had already received the update for 5.1.1, one as far back as early August. This is what Verizon gets for being such a "small" carrier compared to Sprint. I guess Samsung is "punishing" Verizon and holding back the code. Once again, how about information Verizon. I guess if I were a Verizon employee, I would also support them on this forum. I want answers, not excuses.
