HTC explains why Android updates are slow

[techdaring]

Have you ever wondering why Google take so long to release the updates for your Android handsets and why the Nexus One of Google always get the updates first ?

As the explain from Google that because the Nexus One is their handset and it would like to get the update first, no need to take time to custom UI again. But with the other Android handsets, Google releases the source code then the handset maker ports their custom UI to the latest firmware and finally the carrier tacks on their own applications and tweaks.

So it take so long. The solution for stop waiting is purchase Google handsets such as Nexus One.

 

[kinster02]

Why would I want to buy an old outdated phone thats the last of it's kind just to get early updates? Google will not be making a Nexus 2. No thanks I had a Palm Pre already!

 

[SeeK]

Why would I want to buy an old outdated phone thats the last of it's kind just to get early updates? Google will not be making a Nexus 2. No thanks I had a Palm Pre already!

I have to sort of agree. While I can see the way they think, I love the Sense UI and waiting a couple of months longer for all the candy it'll bring is okay with me.

Still, I can see how the Gingerbread incentive would be beneficial. If the stock Android UI was "so good" that it'll render all custom UIs obsolete, we wouldn't have this dilemma to begin with. Though I'm sure HTC and Motorola will always stick to their own stuff anyway, that's how business goes...

 

[Joelist]

You need to keep in mind that while Android was known out there it took HTC doing a superb migration of Sense to it for everything to REALLY take off.

In all honesty, either Google needs to design a first class UI or license Sense from HTC and make it the "native" UI.

 

[eyesparky]

I would really like to see companies like HTC releasing their phones with their look and feel coming as a launcher and their widgets and applications in place regardless of which launcher the user decided to implement. It would allow for the underlying operating system to be updated and give their customers choice in the way they wanted their phones to operate. It would also allow them to update their Launcher UI on their own timetable. If they wanted to release a new UI for Sense for instance, they could choose to make it compatible with older devices or choose some features to only be available to phones capable of running the latest iteration of the underlying operating system.

 

[borgey401]

Why would I want to buy an old outdated phone thats the last of it's kind just to get early updates? Google will not be making a Nexus 2. No thanks I had a Palm Pre already!

just because they say that does not mean they are going to go through with it. i remember before the N1 came out they told everyone they would NOT be making phones and look what happened. i highly doubt this will be the last developer phone to ever hit Android...... think about that now

 

[borgey401]

I would really like to see companies like HTC releasing their phones with their look and feel coming as a launcher and their widgets and applications in place regardless of which launcher the user decided to implement. It would allow for the underlying operating system to be updated and give their customers choice in the way they wanted their phones to operate. It would also allow them to update their Launcher UI on their own timetable. If they wanted to release a new UI for Sense for instance, they could choose to make it compatible with older devices or choose some features to only be available to phones capable of running the latest iteration of the underlying operating system.

Absolutely I could not have said it better. Like the Droid Eris, you could actually turn off Sense UI and run Vanilla on it if wanted. Any phone with a custom UI should have this feature NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

 

[jdbower]

One thing to remember is that developer phones are just that - phones for developers. They aren't really the best phones for users - especially power users looking for the latest and greatest.

An OS developer likes them because it gives them a platform where they can get the early builds from Google, run them, and start building a platform around the new APIs.

An app developer likes them because it provides a baseline for support. They can run whatever OS release they want on it and if it'll run on a Nexus One it'll run on a wide variety of phones. An app developer who buys the latest and greatest phone every time it comes out will build apps only for the latest and greatest, but without compatibility to Nexus-era phones they'd lose out on a wider market. Now obviously if you're OK with limiting your market share so you can exploit some special features of a newer phone that's fine.

Personally I'd love a Nexus One to pair with my X, that way I can see what's coming while having a higher horsepower phone with a big screen as my "daily driver" loaded with a stable image.