Android updates are a bit of a mess, especially if you have not paid a very hefty price for a flagship device. In fact, it is even debatable whether it is Google or the OEM who should be held responsible for providing consumers with timely updates. In this state of confusion, a Dutch consumer protection group named Consumentenbond has held the OEM responsible for not providing timely updates to its devices, and the OEM in question is the market leader in Android Smartphones, Samsung.

The non-profit organization based in Netherlands had approached Samsung over a month ago on December 2, but without avail as Samsung had not reverted back to them with any substantial response. As a result, "injunctive relief proceedings" were issued against Samsung which alleges the company of employing immoral business tactics by keeping the consumers uninformed about updates and patches for the device that they are investing their money into.

Consumentenbond is demanding full disclosure about the plans of the company in regard to Android updates, firmware updates and security patches for its smartphones. In addition, a time period of two years from the date of purchase is demanded by the group, during which it must keep all its devices, including the old ones updated.

While this may sound like the right thing to do on paper, such a policy would definitely increase the cost of the mobile phones significantly. Also, Samsung would have to stop releasing so many devices in order to keep updates a real life possibility. The increased cost may hurt the budget segment, but a more select set of polished releases does not really sound like a bad idea. We will have to wait and see how the lawsuit pans out over time.

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Users of the Galaxy A5 (2016) in Netherlands were not fortunate enough to receive the Nougat update like most of Europe did months ago and just when things were starting to look particularly embarrassing for Samsung Netherlands, they have started to roll out the elusive update. Late as it may be, if you are in Netherlands and you own the neglected smartphone, this is good news for you. So start checking for the OTA package on your smartphone now.

The update is only valid for unlocked versions of the phone so if your Galaxy A5 (2016) is carrier locked, we are sorry to say that unfortunately this news doesn't concern you. The build number on the firmware is A510FXXU4CQE9 and strangely enough, it only contains the May security patch instead of the expected June SMR. Apart from upgrading your Android OS, the update will also change the overlying UI in certain areas such as the notification shade and the app icons. If you see any other changes worth mentioning, do let us know in the comments.

Head over to our firmware section to find all the latest available updates for your Samsung smartphones and tablets.

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)