
Why Android Updates Are So Slow - ocean12
http://www.marco.org/2013/03/19/why-android-updates-are-so-slow
======
bookwormAT
I think comparisons between update the frequency of two different types of
software is foolish.

"Operating system" means different things to different people, and Android is
not a OS in the sense that iOS is one.

iOS is the software that comes preinstalled on the iPhone. Android is the
cross-platform environment that companies like Samsung use as a base for the
software that comes preinstalled on their devices.

An "iOS release" is the time when the ROM that is delivered to the iPhone is
finished and has been tested. An "Android release" is a milestone when about
70% of Samsung's ROM is finished, and they now start adding customizations,
applications, QA etc.

New features to the Apple app store and iTunes are part of an iOS version
update. The Play store, Google Music, Maps etc are updated multiple times each
year, often to devices that are based on an older version of Android.

Don't get me wrong: Version legacy is a problem for most Android engineers. It
becomes better with every release (2.3 is much more fun to code for that 1.6
was). But of course we would all like to work for the latest version as soon
as it is released.

But on the other hand: At least we __do __have a cross platform technology
like Android now. There used to be 100s of devices before Android was around,
and companies like Apple still do this "make a new app just for our phone"
thing. I'm very glad that today I can write a single application for HTC sense
and Samsung TouchWiz. It's not a 100% perfect cross platform environment, and
somestimes I still have to write some extra code for each devices.

But a 90% cross platform technology with legacy problems is still much better
than not having a cross platform technology in the first place.

As for the consumer point of view: "Android" is not what he is buying. If a
device gets updates or does not depend on the software, but on the service
provider who is responsible for the software on your phone. That is usually
the company that you bought the phone from.

Samsung's top phones get an OS update about once per year, just like Apple
does it. For about two years after it was released, which is worse than Apple,
but not aweful.

Some vendors are better (Google, Asus), some are worse (LG, Motorola). But
that is not a software issue. It's just a misunderstanding that companies and
press are not good at explaining to consumers: That Android is not an
alternative to the iPhone. Galaxy S, HTC One and Nexus are, and you don't get
the same software and service if you buy any of these.

------
ocean12
"The Android way: Our problems become your problems."

