How many years do Android phones get OS updates

[BlackZeppelin]

I have a Galaxy S5 which is my first high end smartphone. The phone still is running really well so I am very happy with it. But I am very disappointed that after 2 yrs, my marshmallow 6.0.1. will be my last OS update.

On average, how long do Android phones keep receiving OS updates? What about IOS? I am not one of those people to ditch a perfectly good phone after 2 years. For me, 3 yrs is an absolute minimum.

 

[mhinc]

I have a Galaxy S5 which is my first high end smartphone. The phone still is running really well so I am very happy with it. But I am very disappointed that after 2 yrs, my marshmallow 6.0.1. will be my last OS update.

On average, how long do Android phones keep receiving OS updates? What about IOS? I am not one of those people to ditch a perfectly good phone after 2 years. For me, 3 yrs is an absolute minimum.

Have to say, you are doing pretty good considering the S5 shipped with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, you have had 2 OS updates since. That's NOT bad considering most people keep a phone for 2 years and upgrade.

 

[maizhaoiv]

Let's say Sony, all flagship will receive 2 major Android update like Z-series. Example Xperia Z3 is starting from Android Kitkat, then Lollipop, and lasted on Marshmallow, which can total have 3 version major Android version.
But if for mid-range like Xperia M5/M4 and C5/C4, they will only receive 1 major update. They start from Lollipop and lasted on Marshmallow.
And low-range like E-series, they only received bug fixed update, which won't provide new Android update.

So, it depends on what range of device you using now.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

Have to say, you are doing pretty good considering the S5 shipped with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, you have had 2 OS updates since. That's NOT bad considering most people keep a phone for 2 years and in any caseupgrade.

Seriously? You consider a former flagship timing out of OS updates at 2 yrs good? I don't at all. I am not considering converting to Apple but I have heard that iPhones get 4 to 5 yrs of updates. Not sure if that is true but in any case, 2 yrs is not good by any means. So if I want to keep my phone for a 3rd year, bad luck I miss out on Nougat.

Not good at all, especially if it's true IOS gets double the yrs of updates.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

Let's say Sony, all flagship will receive 2 major Android update like Z-series. Example Xperia Z3 is starting from Android Kitkat, then Lollipop, and lasted on Marshmallow, which can total have 3 version major Android version.
But if for mid-range like Xperia M5/M4 and C5/C4, they will only receive 1 major update. They start from Lollipop and lasted on Marshmallow.
And low-range like E-series, they only received bug fixed update, which won't provide new Android update.

So, it depends on what range of device you using now.

Sorry, I should have clarified. I mean Android flagships.

 

[sting7k]

Seriously? You consider a former flagship timing out of OS updates at 2 yrs good? I don't at all. I am not considering converting to Apple but I have heard that iPhones get 4 to 5 yrs of updates. Not sure if that is true but in any case, 2 yrs is not good by any means. So if I want to keep my phone for a 3rd year, bad luck I miss out on Nougat.

Not good at all, especially if it's true IOS gets double the yrs of updates.

My 4 year old iPhone 5 is running iOS 10 with no trouble.

 

[Vince_MccrayT]

 

[Vince_MccrayT]

This is all pretty moot when you consider the average person replaces their phone every 18 - 24 months.

 

[zledzhydro]

2 years update or two major update

 

[maclancer]

I seriously think that a minimum of three years of OS upgrades should be in any Android flagship phones. If Apple can push 4 years of OS upgrades, why not Google?

 

[hallux]

Seriously? You consider a former flagship timing out of OS updates at 2 yrs good? I don't at all. I am not considering converting to Apple but I have heard that iPhones get 4 to 5 yrs of updates. Not sure if that is true but in any case, 2 yrs is not good by any means. So if I want to keep my phone for a 3rd year, bad luck I miss out on Nougat.

Not good at all, especially if it's true IOS gets double the yrs of updates.

Considering Google only promises 2 years of OS updates for its devices (3 years of security patches), Samsung providing updates for 2 years is actually pretty good, considering the history.

Not to mention, a core part of releasing a new OS for a phone is the SoC manufacturer being on board to support the new OS on the SoC, and Qualcomm is NOT supporting the SD 800/801 on Nougat so Samsung releasing a Nougat update for the S5 is off the table.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/ge...pdragon-800-801-devices-because-qualcomm.html

 

[mhinc]

This is all pretty moot when you consider the average person replaces their phone every 18 - 24 months.

Exactly what my point was! Agreed!

 

[BlackZeppelin]

I seriously think that a minimum of three years of OS upgrades should be in any Android flagship phones. If Apple can push 4 years of OS upgrades, why not Google?

Exactly. This is an area where Google needs to lift their game. I'm sorry but 2 yrs is not acceptable for an expensive flagship phone to receive OS updates. I am especially disappointed that Google's own phone, Pixel, will only receive the same.

I'm tired of reading, "....most people upgrade by 2 yrs". Not good enough. I'm not most people and my Galaxy S5 runs flawlessly, I'm not going to follow the dumb masses and throw out it out and "upgrade" to get marginally improved only features. It's worth very little now, so selling it for peanuts is virtually just throwing it away.

I can't believe the justifications for this around here. I'm am Android fan like anyone else here, but this is not justifiable when Google's arch rival has double the yrs of updates.

 

[maclancer]

Exactly. This is an area where Google needs to lift their game. I'm sorry but 2 yrs is not acceptable for an expensive flagship phone to receive OS updates. I am especially disappointed that Google's own phone, Pixel, will only receive the same.

I'm tired of reading, "....most people upgrade by 2 yrs". Not good enough. I'm not most people and my Galaxy S5 runs flawlessly, I'm not going to follow the dumb masses and throw out it out and "upgrade" to get marginally improved only features. It's worth very little now, so selling it for peanuts is virtually just throwing it away.

I can't believe the justifications for this around here. I'm am Android fan like anyone else here, but this is not justifiable when Google's arch rival has double the yrs of updates.

This is why I will never going to buy a flagship phone anymore with Android. I have right now a Moto g4, cost $229 and will probably receive same type of upgrades for 1/4 of the price of a flagship.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

What is the reason that Google cannot work towards giving direct updates like Apple does? I think that would be a major improvement.

 

[hallux]

What is the reason that Google cannot work towards giving direct updates like Apple does? I think that would be a major improvement.

It's not so much Google as it is the OEMs. Google DOES push updates direct to the devices sold by them, updates to Nexus devices are pushed independent of the carriers. It takes the OEMs months to build the updates for their devices, then they end up having to get the update approved by the carriers (since the carriers sold and branded the devices).

Even more concerning are the tablets, devices that are unhindered by carrier garbage. My 2014 Galaxy Note 10.1 got LOLLIPOP in late November, 2015. Yes, OVER A YEAR after the OS was released (which was released less than a year after the device had released), that is unacceptable for a flagship-level device, especially when there is no carrier involvement in the release.

 

[apeksha_p]

2 years as a general rule of thumb...

 

[mohit9206]

This is why I will never going to buy a flagship phone anymore with Android. I have right now a Moto g4, cost $229 and will probably receive same type of upgrades for 1/4 of the price of a flagship.

Moto G4 is not a flagship so it will only receive one update - Nougat.

 

[Harish Jonnalagadda]

Moto G4 is not a flagship so it will only receive one update - Nougat.

Being a flagship has nothing to do with updates. In this case, you're probably right though. Motorola's already abandoning the Moto G 2015, so it is likely that the Moto G4 will follow suit in a year's time.

 

[maclancer]

Being a flagship has nothing to do with updates. In this case, you're probably right though. Motorola's already abandoning the Moto G 2015, so it is likely that the Moto G4 will follow suit in a year's time.

If I am not mistaken, Google said that smartphones shipped with Nougat installed, will have the seamless upgrade of Android. Which means, that Moto G5 will have this feature implemented.