Google is killing low-end Android devices

[Travier]

Hello,

You have probably heard of the upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat.

There are some bad news about it: "Several Android devices from HTC, LG, Samsung, Sony and others are unable to run Android 4.2 and 4.3 Jelly Bean due to heavy requirements such as having at least 512 RAM and dual-core processors" - This is from: Android 4.4 KitKat: Confirmed Older Devices Support, New Animations, Gallery Visualisations, Tweaks, APIs, Widgets - International Business Times

This means that low-end devices, usually with single-core chips, will not get this version, and keep staying with Gingerbread, perhaps forever.

Gingerbread is old and it's getting even older -- it's slow, and just isn't appropriate to the modern smartphone world.

Why does Google have to make relatively high requirements to its Android versions?

High-end phones rise, that's true, but let's not forget the low-end market, too.

What do you think?

 

[Aquila]

They're actually making it MORE friendly to "lower end" devices. The article you linked agrees and suggest those devices that couldn't have ICS or JB updates because of system requirements may now be able to jump forward onto the Kit Kat platform, assuming the OEM's (and carriers here) ever decide to give that a shot. Chances are, devices still on GB are due for an upgrade soon. While some GB devices still are being sold, it's pretty rare as ICS has been out for 22 months now.

From the article: "Hopefully, owners of low-cost Android phones may be able to get Android 4.4 KitKat from their manufacturers once released by Google."

 

[garublador]

The thing about Android is that it's totally free. If Google doesn't think they'll make money on Play Store purchases for low end devices they have no incentive to optimize their OS for those devices. If the OEM's want an OS optimized for those devices they can always make those changes themselves. That's one of the advantages of the open source nature of Android. No one is being forced to make their hardware compatible with any specific version of the OS.

Either way it will only be a temporary problem. Eventually the cheap phone will have the hardware to run later versions of Android. They'll probably always be behind a couple OS's, but that's the sort of thing you have to sacrifice when spending less on a phone.

 

[Aquila]

The only thing we "know" about kit Kat is that it has major changes in the works for inexpensive and international devices.

Nexus. Through spacetime.

 

[Maria Esponoza]

When youre behind 2 to 3 years its hardly fair to point fingers at the OS dev when your substandard hardware cant keep up. Thats why carriers offer upgrades (aside from the obvious profit).

Sent from my Galaxy S4 while driving.

 

[Geodude074]

Not sure what OP is talking about. My first Android phone had a single-core 900 MHz processor and 512 MB RAM, and I installed 4.1 on it just fine. Much slicker than Gingerbread.

 

[jwiesneski]

Not sure what OP is talking about. My first Android phone had a single-core 900 MHz processor and 512 MB RAM, and I installed 4.1 on it just fine. Much slicker than Gingerbread.

Yeah, I'm running 4.2.2 on my HTC One V right now, which basically has the specs of a Nexus One (Single-core 1ghz CPU, 512md RAM, 3.7 inch screen), and it's nice and smooth. If 4.4 makes Android run even better on low end devices, assuming that someone puts out a 4.4 ROM for my One V, it might make me reconsider getting the Nexus 5 or Moto X and just stick with the One V, as I love the size, quality construction, average 2 day battery life and that it has expandable storage.

Of course, I do remember after buying it that HTC said it wouldn't be updated past ICS because the One V wasn't powerful enough. That was of course because they wanted to load Sense on top of Android, which slows things down considerably. Low end devices would seem a lot less low end if companies stopped loading their own custom skins on top of Android. As an aside, there is actually a fully functional Nexus One 4.3 ROM available.

 

[EkataSystems]

As people expect much more from their smartphones, these features/functions require a lot more HW horsepower. It is natural to expect older devices will not be able to support these continued updates (or if they do, for it to perform not to spec). If you look at the numbers that Google publishes for different OS market share, ICS+ comprise more than 70% of the market, so this natural evolution, both hardware and software, is as stated, natural. Don't expect to tell your Bluray DVD manufacturer to back-ward support BetaMax because you want the latest and great on your BetaMax player...