How to upgrade from Android 4.0.3 to 4.4 (or 4.5)?

[MargaretPP]

Can I upgrade from Android 4.0.3 to 4.4 (or 4.5) if yes, how?

The smartphone in question is LG P705.
Did long search on the net, here and there some info which is in heavy techno jargon. Also advises that it is a hard task, links to webpages that don’t look trustworthy and so on.
Did not get any assistance from my ISP…

Well, I’m not well versed in complex technical matters but am prepared to take a chance with this upgrading . All I need is a working, step-by-step, plain English guidance by someone who understand this upgrade procedure.


Can anyone help me, please?
(By the way, from what I found on the web, this upgrade problem with LG is apparently quite wide spread.)

 

[Golfdriver97]

Sadly, I think you are probably stuck on the version of Android you are on. I am not seeing a custom ROM for your device, so installing that isn't an option.

Are you close to upgrading your phone?

 

[MargaretPP]

Thanks Golfdriver97, you say " I think you are probably stuck..."
which I understand as there is still some option/chance somewhere to solve the problem...

Now I understand why people dislike and distrust phone manufacturers - if this LG phone is really impossible to upgrade we have clear indication that manufacturer sells stuff which is designed be obsolete/useless in a couple of years - nothing new in this trick...

Of course LG made phones are definitely out of my (or my friends') shopping list...
The problem is that nobody knows whether currently sold smartphones will not be in the same condition in 2-3 years.

By the way, if there are some other suggestions by techno savvy people please, let me know!

 

[B. Diddy]

The process of getting a system update to a phone is not a straightforward process. First, Google releases the basic code for the update. Then each manufacturer has to review the code and modify it so that it works correctly on their hardware, because there's a lot of different hardware out there in the Android world (as opposed to the homogeneous Apple world). In addition to that, different manufacturers often have their own modifications to the basic Android interface ("skins" like HTC Sense and Samsung's Touchwiz), so the update has to be tweaked to work well with that. Then, the carrier also has to modify the update to make sure it works well on the network and with the various bloatware they might throw in there (ahem, Verizon). Check out this article: HTC details the Android OEM update process with a fancy infographic | Android Central
EDIT: Sorry, but that infographic link is broken. Still, the process is described in some detail in that article.

So for many phones that either aren't really big sellers or flagship phones, it is often not worth it from an economic standpoint to go through this whole process. If prompt updates and prolonged support are important to you, then Nexus or Google Play Edition devices are better choices.

That being said, I did find this link over at XDA. Bear in mind that rooting and flashing custom ROMs can be risky business--if you do something wrong, you could permanently mess up your phone. [L7]P700/P705 Guide for Rooting,CWM install,ROMs,Baseband - xda-developers

 

[B. Diddy]

Sorry, here's another link that does have that HTC infographic describing the update process: HTC let's you check your device's Android update status

 

[Golfdriver97]

Some of the ROMs I saw on XDA were ported, unofficial, or discontinued. Meaning, the ROMs themselves may have a bug, or several. I have never had much luck with ported ROMs. And discontinued means the developer will no longer update the ROM file.

To install these, you would have to root the device, create a Nandroid backup of your stock ROM, then flash the ROM in question. Is it possible? Yes. Will it work well? Maybe.

 

[Rukbat]

Now I understand why people dislike and distrust phone manufacturers - if this LG phone is really impossible to upgrade we have clear indication that manufacturer sells stuff which is designed be obsolete/useless in a couple of years - nothing new in this trick...

It's not a "designed for obsolescence" issue. The industry doesn't stop trying to make better phones and add more features when they've made a phone. And about 2 years later, the phones have been improved so much that a 2-1/2 year old phone can't handle a lot of the apps that are being written for the new phones. (Who wants to be limited to writing an app that can run in only 384MB of RAM?)

It's the same with desktops, just a little slower, but if you're still running a desktop with a 1.2GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and a 100GB hard drive, you're not going to be running the latest programs under Windows 8 on it. (It would make a decent router, though, if you added a 5 port switch and a wifi radio.)

The carriers didn't originally choose a 2 year renewal policy (you can get a new subsidized phone after your 2 year contract runs out) because they picked 2 years out of a hat. That's about how long smartphones used to last before you really needed a new one. The speed at which they're implementing new things (and the time you need a new phone) is getting shorter. (And the cheaper the phone you buy, the sooner it's obsolete.)

The problem is that nobody knows whether currently sold smartphones will not be in the same condition in 2-3 years.

They will. They always will. Research isn't going to stop. New battery technologies will come out, so we can have 10 Amp batteries in the same package size we have 2 Amp batteries in now. New memory technology will come out, so memory will be a lot faster and we can cheaply cram 10GB of RAM and 2TB of storage into a phone. And 10GHz, 8 core CPUs and the GPUs to match them will be developed.

I still have a Motorola V551 in operational condition. (It goes into my pocket when I need a small phone that's not worth much in case it gets stolen or damaged, but I still need to have communications.) It has a camera. It has a phone book. It even can connect to the internet. But it's about 11 years old. It was the best GSM phone on the marker when it came out, but now? It's a phone, and you can't say much more about it. I don't expect to even play solitaire on it.

The same thing is going to happen to my Note 3. It was the flagship phone when I bought it, and it'll probably still be pretty usable in 3-5 years. But after that it'll just be "a phone", and I'll be forced to get something new. Something that will make the Note 3 look like a hoop skirt - ancient history.

 

[B. Diddy]

^^^Yes. Simply yes.

 

[Bethanney]

I realize this is an old thread but I think it basically answers the question I have: is it even possible to upgrade a Droid X2 from Froyo 2.3 to ICS 4.3? Much like the OP, I've been searching for a basic process that doesn't require advanced tech knowledge but I'm thinking my phone is too obsolete at this point to handle the upgrade. If it is possible, could a link to the process be provided?

much thanks in advance!