Importance of Android OS Version

[mranderson41]

Hello all. I'm a new poster here although I've been lurking for a couple of months now.

I've been doing a lot of research for what I hope will be my first smartphone purchase here shortly but I'm still a little hesitant.

I have sprint service and 4g is just a pipe dream for my area so the phones I've been considering are the Hero, Moment, and possibly the Intercept or i1. That being said, I'm wondering how important having the latest and greatest version of android is. I like the Hero/Moment because they are on EVDO Rev. A but I'm concerned because they won't be getting anything past 2.1.

I know that the newer the version of android the better the phones tend to run but what about developer support? Do newer apps just not support older versions of the android os (i.e. 1.5, etc.)?

I'm not one of these guys that runs out and gets the latest phone every couple of months so having a phone that isn't obsolete in a few weeks is kind of important to me. I'd be pretty upset if I jumped into the smartphone world and then had a phone that wasn't very functional (i.e. no developer support) in a couple of months. I do understand that phones can be rooted and custom ROMs of the newer versions installed even after the carrier quits supporting the phone, but being fairly new to the smartphone world I don't know how practical/safe (i.e. not bricking the phone) that is.

Any help for this confused noob would be appreciated.

 

[srkmagnus]

Hi There.

Sounds like the Hero is what you are looking for. As far it has been made known, the lower end devices for Sprint might not be receiving updates past 2.1. At least the Hero and Moment won't be seeing an official release. There is a Cyanogen 2.2 version in the works by Darchstar et al that is coming along nicely for the Hero. I have a Hero so I can say Developer support for the device has been very good and even though several developers have made their way to the Evo, many continue to provide support for the Hero.

If you can wait, i'd suggest holding off to see what other device not running 4g Sprint releases. I havn't heard much in terms of development for the Intercept to be able to offer an opinion on it. The Moment is a good device as well with resources here and sdx-developers. Since you can find both devices pretty cheap on ebay and craigslist, you might want to pick one of those up and mess around with it and use your contract renewal at a later date to get a new device with rebates.

 

[mranderson41]

Hi There.

Sounds like the Hero is what you are looking for. As far it has been made known, the lower end devices for Sprint might not be receiving updates past 2.1. At least the Hero and Moment won't be seeing an official release. There is a Cyanogen 2.2 version in the works by Darchstar et al that is coming along nicely for the Hero. I have a Hero so I can say Developer support for the device has been very good and even though several developers have made their way to the Evo, many continue to provide support for the Hero.

If you can wait, i'd suggest holding off to see what other device not running 4g Sprint releases. I havn't heard much in terms of development for the Intercept to be able to offer an opinion on it. The Moment is a good device as well with resources here and sdx-developers. Since you can find both devices pretty cheap on ebay and craigslist, you might want to pick one of those up and mess around with it and use your contract renewal at a later date to get a new device with rebates.

So is developer support more of an issue on a phone by phone basis or on an Android OS version basis? What I get from reading your reply is that it may not be an issue at all. I'm somewhat of a console gamer so I understand how much it sucks if your particular piece of hardware isn't supported by developers.

 

[srkmagnus]

So is developer support more of an issue on a phone by phone basis or on an Android OS version basis? What I get from reading your reply is that it may not be an issue at all. I'm somewhat of a console gamer so I understand how much it sucks if your particular piece of hardware isn't supported by developers.

Developer support is a phone by phone basis. We can't take Android 2.1 files from the Moment and stick it on a Hero and expect it to work. There are several things that will prevent it from working, specifically the Kernal and key system files. With enough time, you can port the Moment 2.1 over to the Hero, but that won't make much sense given 2.1 is already available for the Hero. Also, with the Hero, you will find many ROMs to flash if you root, overclocked kernals, etc. that are put together by the Hero Developers. The Moment might have the same if not better support. But since I don't have a moment, I can't specifically comment on the device (check sdx-developers for that information).

In the end you will need to consider a few key points in selecting your device (IMO):

- Do you care if the phone has a physical keyboard?
- Is the developer support good? Meaning will mods to the device released by develoers continue and will those mods continue to improve the phone beyond it's factory capabilities?
- Phone OS, whether Android 2.1 plain or overlaid with Sense UI?



I hope I cleared it up a little. Good luck with your choice and have fun with teh device of your choice

 

[cloak.n.dagger]

4G isn't something you pay extra for, the EVO, however, does cost an extra $10 a month (not for the 4G service but for the EVO experience!). I wouldn't base your decision on whether or not the phone is capable of 4G, but based on hardware specs. The EVO is the latest Sprint phone and would provide you with exceptional 3G functionality and give you longevity with Android support. The Samsung Epic is also coming out soon and has great hardware that will also give you the longevity you are looking for, support wise. I wouldn't get the Hero because the hardware is fairly dated. All in all, it comes down to what you want in a phone. If the Hero gives you what you want, then it may be a good fit for you. I can personally attest to the newer hardware vastly improving the UI experience. With newer versions of Android also improving performance, I would ensure that you have the hardware in place to run the newer versions.