please help

[Extreme_Patriot]

General question about lollipop. Left the iphone franchise, started with the original. Got a note 4, tired of the same iphone every year. Love the new note 4, however I find it interesting that some phones in the android line don't even have the latest version of kit kat. This seems unacceptable to me. Why not give everyone the same opportunities. I hope that I have not made a mistake switching operating systems. Also, with the note 4 being a "flag ship", I would assume that would be priority #1 for Samsung? Can anyone explain this for an android rookie????

 

[Roman1]

Apple manufactures its iPhones itself, and a huge number of different companies producing android-devices. How can you control them all?

 

[LegalAmerican]

General question about lollipop. Left the iphone franchise, started with the original. Got a note 4, tired of the same iphone every year. Love the new note 4, however I find it interesting that some phones in the android line don't even have the latest version of kit kat. This seems unacceptable to me. Why not give everyone the same opportunities. I hope that I have not made a mistake switching operating systems. Also, with the note 4 being a "flag ship", I would assume that would be priority #1 for Samsung? Can anyone explain this for an android rookie????

Samsung technically has two flagships. The Galaxy S5 and the Note 4. Because of the S pen, these are actually quite different. My personal opinion would be that if they chose to work on Lollipop for the S5, it would then be quicker and easier to modify it for the S4 than they could develop it for the Note 4. I could be completely wrong but that's how I picture it because of the added dynamic of software that works with the S pen.

Also, not every Android is on the same version of Android because they update so differently from Apple. Apple says they're updating 'X,Y,Z' on this day with the same update, but then they either break the device with the update, or they pull out major features of that OS for the older devices. Android is only going to update the devices that can handle all the new features, and that the manufacturer feels will be worth their time. This is where fragmentation REALLY hurts Android and where it's starting to hurt Apple now with the 5s, 5c, 6, and 6+. Anytime you're trying to bring one piece of software to very different devices, you will have these issues. ESPECIALLY when the manufacturers are mostly concerned with profits and do not care to spend their energy bringing an update to a device that's no longer lucrative for them.

The nice thing about Android, is if everyone wants the 'same opportunities', they can root and flash whatever version of Android they care to try. Sure, that can void warranty and I personally will not do it, but the option is still there. Not everyone on iOS gets the same opportunities either as someone with an iPhone 4 will not have all the features of iOS 8 like someone with an iPhone 6 will have. These same issues will arise on iOS now that they are releasing various iPhone models each year. Therefore, I do not think you've made a mistake switching, but that's ultimately your call.

 

[raqball]

If you want instant updates then you've purchased the wrong phone.

Nexus devices get almost instant updates followed by the Play Store editions. The carrier devices take much longer.

In our case, Google sends 5.0 to Samsung. They then add TW and customize it. This could take months. After Samsung is done they send it to the carriers who then test it and add their apps as well. Again this could take another couple of months.

If you want fast and instant updates then this might not be the phone for you. Take a look at the Nexus 6 as it will be updated almost instantly by Google.

Of course by going Nexus you loose just about everything the Note offers. Are instant updates really that important? To me they are not as my Note works just fine on 4.4.4 and I know it will get 5.0 at some point.

My .02

 

[Extreme_Patriot]

Thank you for the responses, like I said I'm an android rookie, just trying to figure all this out.This phone is amazing, definitely not a mistake, just growing pains of getting used to the move os I guess.

 

[Tinmania]

One other important distinction is that Google updates its core apps separately from the OS, whereas Apple almost always does them together. If you want iOS 8's Safari or Mail app you need iOS 8. It's not like that on Android.

I have both Gmail 5 and Calendar 5 on my Note 4. Those are the latest versions of those apps, with the Material Design makeover, just like Lollipop. You can have those same apps even on older Android devices still running Ice Cream Sandwich. No way you can have the latest Safari on an original iPad running iOS 5.1.1 (its last update, and the iPad 1 was only 2 years old at the time).



Michael

 

[bassplayrguy]

One other important distinction is that Google updates its core apps separately from the OS, whereas Apple almost always does them together. If you want iOS 8's Safari or Mail app you need iOS 8. It's not like that on Android.

I have both Gmail 5 and Calendar 5 on my Note 4. Those are the latest versions of those apps, with the Material Design makeover, just like Lollipop. You can have those same apps even on older Android devices still running Ice Cream Sandwich. No way you can have the latest Safari on an original iPad running iOS 5.1.1 (its last update, and the iPad 1 was only 2 years old at the time).



Michael

How did you update these apps

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Tinmania]

They will be in the Play Store soon but if you want them now:

Calendar 5:
http://gappsearly.com/google-apps/g...d/27-google-calendar/413-google-calendar.html

Gmail 5:
http://gappsearly.com/google-apps/gmail/viewdownload/12-gmail/407-gmail.html


Mike