Android manufacturers withholding updates and worsening platform fragmentation?

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what's new? every post, in every forum goes off topic.

Back on topic, I think there is a real fine line on this topic. Everybody complaining has to understand the business side of it. Everything in this world revolves around business. I understand the manufacturers responsibility to update their phones. But they also have a responsibility to their business. Say there were 2 million (just using for sake of simplicity) OG Droids being used out there, and Moto decided to update them to Gingerbread, how many people using those devices would go out and buy another one? My guess would be less then half. So that is 1+ million people not buying a new device. That is a substantial amount of money lost. But if they don't update to Gingerbread, I would guess 80-90% of those users would go out and get a new device, which means a lot revenue for Moto. More revenue for Moto means better devices come out in the future. Now obviously that is a really simplified look at it, but you get the idea. It is the world we live in people, get used to it.

 

[crazy650]

i hate apple but i agree with the updating i bought my samsung end of nov of last year and i have been waiting for update i got the phone cause i was told i would get 2.2 and have flash i had a eris before this phone. I well just be happy the day it does happen we get 2.2 if it does not i well deal i have till know i see no reason i really need it. just be nice when i plug it into my dock at home i could play music out of it thats all i can say i dont like but everything else i could not be happer (=

 

[BSG75]

My recommendation: Get a one-year contract with the latest software already installed. Load roms as needed. It would be better if we maybe just had vanilla android that was easily upgradable, but we don't.

Root 'n Load.

That's going into my sig

 

[crazy650]

i been on verzion since 2002 lil hard to change a one year dont you think.

 

[Johnly]

A friend of mine sent me this. I don't really know what to make of it... what do you all think?

He also told me to get the iphone sooooo.... yeah. I would rather leave this to you all who know much more about all this stuff than me (a newbie!)

Android manufacturers withholding updates and worsening platform fragmentation? | ITworld

so does this mean my "new" vibrant wasn't such a great idea?

Listen to your friend......eat, drink, be merry!

 

[BSG75]

i been on verzion since 2002 lil hard to change a one year dont you think.

What do you mean? I've been in V for a number of years. When my 2 year was up over the summer, I called V and ordered a back-ordered Incredible. They don't give you the 1 year option online if you are currently in a 2 year. Call (or go to the store) and set it up. It's easy to do, once your 2 year is over.

 

[Johnly]

By OP......happy travels as you were long gone long ago..ha ha ha

 

[srkmagnus]

Of course manufacturers are holding updates. There have been many arguments as to why phones are not being upgraded to the newest os's, so no need to reiterate it.

But has anyone talked about what percentage of US android users are anxiously waiting on the newest os upgrade? I'd bet the percentage is small. In fact, many users probably don't know what os they are using, whether 2.1 or 2.2. Upgrading phone software to the newest is not the manufacturers responsibility -- Maintaining it and patching major flaws is. If a phone was advertised/touted to have capabilities such as flash, but is stuck on 2.1, then yes, now we have a problem.

 

[SdotJ]

But has anyone talked about what percentage of US android users are anxiously waiting on the newest os upgrade?

This. I agree that only the tech guys/girls are up in arms while the average consumer rarely cares. Therefore there is no real reason for carriers to have to continue updates to devices but rather sell you a new device.

 

[icebike]

This. I agree that only the tech guys/girls are up in arms while the average consumer rarely cares. Therefore there is no real reason for carriers to have to continue updates to devices but rather sell you a new device.

I doubt this is true anymore.

The average user (yeah, even the OMG LOL L8R crowd) does know about new features and upgraded capabilities in later operating system versions.

They see people using these features on other phones, or rooted phones, and they wonder why they can't have them.

Don't be so condescending.

 

[icebike]

Another story is posted here:
Samsung Forcing US Carriers to Pay for Android Froyo on Galaxy S? | PhoneNews.com

This from XDA developer who claims inside knowledge says Samsung is holding upgrades hostage trying to force carriers to pay a per-phone upgrade fee that no other manufacturer demands. Even when these so called upgraded came from the Android project, and not from Samsung.

 

[SdotJ]

I doubt this is true anymore.

The average user (yeah, even the OMG LOL L8R crowd) does know about new features and upgraded capabilities in later operating system versions.
P
They see people using these features on other phones, or rooted phones, and they wonder why they can't have them.

Don't be so condescending.

Lol ok if you say so but on average they don't know what jit is and that was a big feature of froyo. Now im not saying there completely dumb founded but there not demanding updates for features they dont know are there. Judging by a tech forum is a bad idea because we represent a very small portion of the pie. Either way I don't want to derail this thread so lets just agree to disagree without the name throwing. Thanks

 

[Guamguy]

I doubt this is true anymore.

The average user (yeah, even the OMG LOL L8R crowd) does know about new features and upgraded capabilities in later operating system versions.

They see people using these features on other phones, or rooted phones, and they wonder why they can't have them.

Don't be so condescending.

I would say, looking at the Blackberry and iPhones, people don't really care about the updates. In fact people on iOS often seem to complain about iOS 4 more than iOS 3.

But Android 2.2 is special. People want this, I mean the average Joe, because of the much flaunted Flash capability and mobile hotspot. If it wasn't for these two, they would snore over the upgrade.

 

[deblyn]

I Beg to Differ with That!

Of course manufacturers are holding updates. There have been many arguments as to why phones are not being upgraded to the newest os's, so no need to reiterate it.

But has anyone talked about what percentage of US android users are anxiously waiting on the newest os upgrade? I'd bet the percentage is small. In fact, many users probably don't know what os they are using, whether 2.1 or 2.2. Upgrading phone software to the newest is not the manufacturers responsibility -- Maintaining it and patching major flaws is. If a phone was advertised/touted to have capabilities such as flash, but is stuck on 2.1, then yes, now we have a problem.

The percentage is probably much higher than is being let on. The primary reason we don't hear too much from the rest of the Android users is that most of them (us) are NOT rooting their phones and changing out the ROM. I am one of them. To date, and I have had my Captivate since 11/10, and in that time I have added approximately 8 pages of apps. That's @ 160 to most of us. I use on a regular basis, about 50% of them. The rest I just haven't had the need or time to spend learning them yet. I STILL HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH MY DEVICE, INCLUDING FREEZING OR FORCE CLOSING. The only flaws as I see it are the battery drain, because the apps NEEd to be on the phone and not the SD card in order for the operating system to access them in version 2.1 ... and THAT is the primary reason that most of us are panting for the 2.2 (Froyo)... that version addresses the issue of the SD card versus the use of memory... which speaks to the drain on the battery, as well as how quickly the device boots up after it has been turned off.

The wifi issue is nice, however, if you think the drain on your battery is bad now, just wait until you hook up as a hot spot!!!!

And, service carriers are not the ones having to control for the operating system... the device manufacturers are. And their problems are aplenty, the least of which is the fact that they all have so many different models using the operating system and all of them need to function properly and without too many bugs upon release... and all of this UNDER the UI! ATT, or Sprint, or Verizon couldn't possibly care less about how often a software update is released... all they need to do is provide a link... totally simple enough. The hardware vendors are holding the releases up... they have all the problems, the liability, and the headaches. So, I don't mind waiting just a bit longer, if, when they finally do release 2.2, I am not being used as a beta test site for that release! I positively HATE dealing with freezes and dead zones!

But for now... my Captivate rocks! And when the SD card problem is solved, it will roll also!