Do stock Android phones like Nokia 8 get more updates?

[CellyPhoner]

Im wondering if thats one of the benefits of the Nokia 8. Its such a beautiful phone. Its a shame its camera showed up so weak on DXO.

Sirocco looks to be the prettiest phone ever made but I need a phone now.

 

[B. Diddy]

It's up to the manufacturer to commit to frequent/timely updates. There's no such thing as a true "stock" Android phone (i.e., one running only pure AOSP Android -- you could argue that Nexus and Pixel phones also aren't truly "stock Android"), but the fewer modifications the manufacturer makes to the interface, the easier it is for them to apply the system updates that Google comes out with.

Nokia seems to have made the commitment to frequent and timely updates, but only time will tell if this pans out. Right now, it makes for great press, but we've seen promises like this fizzle out in the past.

 

[Ry]

With Nokia committing to Android Go and Android One for their new phones, updates shouldn't be a problem.

Though I still wouldn't expect OS updates at the same time as Nexus/Pixel.

 

[Rukbat]

Google (the Pixel 2 and 2XL at this time) update every month, on the 5th. And you get the updates before the end of the second week of the month. (Or download them from the Google site and install them yourself.) They're not pure AOSP, but close enough for most people. (I replace the launcher immediately anyway, and I have a few apps I prefer, and use them instead of the provided ones, no matter what phone I have.) But the updates are fast, even if it's just a little thing.

 

[anon(9485947)]

Despite the fact that we think of android as a 'free' operating system, Android Updates cost money for manufacturers.

They have to pay their developers.. may have to update their own internal apps, will have to update their documentation, test the updates, run all sort of QA procedures, brief their internal support staff.

Oh.. and then theirs the hoops that their customers (the networks) may make them jump through.

Having builds that are closer to stock android, makes it less work for them, but they still cost money. Which is why we don't get every phone updated every month.. and some phones never see an update ever.

 

[Rukbat]

Even for a phone that's getting updates, manufacturers like Samsung seem to "save up" a few updates before working on them and releasing them. If it's not a critical update (fix an overheating condition, block a particularly nasty virus), that's not really a problem. But we don't know, do we? If they just decide March, June, September, December as the update times, and a nasty bug or virus turns up right after an update, are they going to i9ssue one out of order? (It's why I like Google - I can wait until the beginning of the next month - immediate updates for everything would be asking for something unreasonable.)