Software plays a crucial role in the overall flagship smartphone experience, so it stands to reason that software updates also play a crucial role. A software update can not only fix bugs but also bring in new features and make our phones perform better than their originally purchased condition. But while software updates can fix things, they can also break things, making our experience worse and leaving us with the regret of accepting that cursed update.
Cursed updates aren’t commonplace, but they are more frequent with some OEMs than others. They also vary anecdotally, as different people use their phones differently and are affected by various bugs differently. What is an experience-breaking critical bug for me may not be the same for you, and vice versa.