Upgrade path for Android 4.2.2

[Jim_HiTek]

This Freelander Phablet Model PD80 3GS has been a workhorse for me and I'd like to hang onto it but I'm running into apps that won't install, giving a "Your device isn't compatible..." message. It's only 5 years old, has quad core processor, a built in phone, and I'd hate to just toss it.

So my question is, what is the upgrade path for Jellybean V4.2.2? Do I jump to Lollipop or higher directly? Or do I need to install each upgrade in turn? What's the highest version I should go to? I know it's up to V9 now but not sure my equipment would handle that, based on my reading.

I have installed KingoRoot on my "Win7" machine and can easily root or unroot the tablet. And I have GAPPS Hubs on the tablet to choose the zip file but I can't figure out which one I should try.

Don't have any software or pics or docs or anything on the tablet that's all that important but a suggestion on what and how to save certain directories to an SD card would be helpful too.

So what say you experts? And THANKS for any help at all.

 

[hallux]

Welcome to the forums!

Your upgrade path would be through a 3rd-party ROM, if available for a non-mainstream device. The hardware support has to be built into the Android installation prior to installing on the device. Android is unlike Windows in this regard - you can't just go grab an update and install it, the OS needs to be built for your particular device.

Unless you're good at tinkering and want to try your hand at building your own ROM, that device has gone as far as it can if Freelander has not released an update and there is no 3rd-party ROM support for it.

In all honesty, 5 years is a long time in the mobile tech world. Shoot, my MacBook Pro is 6 years old and it's the longest I've kept an every-day use computer.

 

[Jim_HiTek]

Not sure you understand my meaning. Upgrade path to me is 4.2 to 4.4 to 5.x to 6.0 and so on. OR, is it 4.2 directly to 6.x? That's the 'path' I'm taking about.

I disagree with your characterization of the life time of this product as only going to be a short 5-6 years. IMO.

Thanks for your help though.

Not sure what building my own ROM is about, I can download the upgrades as zip files right onto the phablet and install them there, I'm just trying to clarify which one I should use.

 

[hallux]

So, the manufacturer has released the updates? If so, You may need to do each update in sequence. If the manufacturer has not released the updates, that's where the ROM building comes into play.

Also - if there IS a manufacturer-provided update available, you should be able to check for updates from the device and get it over the air.

 

[Jim_HiTek]

I couldn't find any upgrades from the manufacturer. In fact they sort of walked away from the product after about a year. Not sure they're still in business at this point. When I bought it from China Direct, it was the only 10.1" phablet with all the features I wanted.

This version of Jellybean is not the type that has built in upgrading. That feature didn't happen until version 5.x I believe.

This is why I was hoping to find some guidance on which version to install, since I have to do it manually. And maybe which versions to avoid (like, V5.x might be good, but would V6 brick it?). Don't want to brick the tablet but at the same time, I do need to install some newer apps. Or app upgrades as required.

Upgrading should give me another 3-4 years of use from it. I'm not a big fan of just tossing a perfectly good piece of electronic gear.

 

[Mooncatt]

As Hallux said, that device has run its course. Your only hope is either finding or building your own ROM, because there is no official ROM that you can upgrade to.

Even if there were, the chances of your device supporting it enough to run smooth are slim to none. 5-6 years may seem a short time to you, but it's ancient in tech terms.

 

[Jim_HiTek]

No, the device hasn't run it's course. This 'Can't do' attitude is exactly why millions of perfectly good pieces of equipment are thrown in the trash every year.

I mentioned earlier I have GApps installed with links to all the upgrade flavors of Android and I'll just take my own council and start installing one after the other until I find one that does the job.

 

[hallux]

Believe what you wish, if the underlying pieces never received support for newer versions of Android you will need to write your own drivers to support the device. Android uses drivers much as Windows does, the chip manufacturers need to provide drivers for the chip to operate properly. If the chip is not supported by drivers for the OS you want to install, the device will not work properly. You can "roll your own" if you know what you're doing, but you can't just take a version of Android and overlay it on an existing device.

The Android build has to be done for a specific device configuration. This is why there is "fragmentation" in Android, Samsung has not yet released the latest OS version for the S9, or even the Note 9, because Samsung has yet to complete the build for the new OS. This is why devices such as the S5 (which is newer than your device) will never receive Oreo, officially.

This is why, without some serious knowledge and work on your part, we say it can't be done.

This is old, but it gives you an idea of how Android is updated by an OEM - https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...tc-software-updates-process%2F&token=0DOSnuYC

 

[Mooncatt]

Good luck, but if those other versions were not written specifically for that device, it will not work. For example, it's not possible for me to use a Sprint LG V20 update on my Verizon V20 phone. Yes, the OS is that specific regarding updates.

It's not that I like having such a short term lifespan, but that's the reality of Android right now. If you want something to last that long with updates, I suggest next time you research devices with a good track record of third party ROM developers and try your luck with one of those brands (usually a flagship device). Even that isn't a guarantee. A third party ROM may still never surface for a newer version of the OS, you may still run into hardware limitations, and developers can still restrict apps to certain devices in the Play store.

Like I said, that's if you had a name brand flagship. Your current device is a no name brand from what sounds like a fly by night manufacturer. So your chances of success are about 1%, and even that isn't likely without extensive work on your part to make it work.

 

[Jim_HiTek]

Great answers Hallux & Mooncatt. And actual explanations rather than a straight 'can't be done'. I appreciate it.

I'll consider your comments carefully, but the other threads I've read on the 'net have suggested that an Android Tablet (with built in phone) is a bit more universal than an actual phone that behaves like an Android. Even listing upgrades to Kitkat for my hardware configuration (name of which I forget just now -Nexus I think).

I guess I'll see when I try it. If I try it. I'll keep reading and may just follow your advice.