Android Orphans: Visualizing a Sad History of Support

ginggs

ginggs

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http://theunderstatement.com/post/11982112928/android-orphans-visualizing-a-sad-history-of-support
Other than the original G1 and MyTouch, virtually all of the millions of phones represented by this chart are still under contract today. If you thought that entitled you to some support, think again:
  • 7 of the 18 Android phones never ran a current version of the OS.
  • 12 of 18 only ran a current version of the OS for a matter of weeks or less.
  • 10 of 18 were at least two major versions behind well within their two year contract period.
  • 11 of 18 stopped getting any support updates less than a year after release.
  • 13 of 18 stopped getting any support updates before they even stopped selling the device or very shortly thereafter.
  • 15 of 18 don’t run Gingerbread, which shipped in December 2010.
  • In a few weeks, when Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, every device on here will be another major version behind.
  • At least 16 of 18 will almost certainly never get Ice Cream Sandwich.

Also worth noting that each bar in the chart starts from the first day of release - so it only gets worse for people who bought their phone late in its sales period.
Click to expand...
 
Very interesting. Never been a problem on my side since I rooted from week 2, and have never been behind. It still is a problem, and at some point Google will have to pay attention. I think with ICS the playing field will be levelled a bit more, and that was the original intent. You see, soft buttons means that the OS is not that hardware dependent for interface, and that is where a lot of the equalisation will come in I hope. Don't know if I would want to run ICS on my HTC Desire, because soft buttons + hardware buttons cuts a good 5cmx7mm chunk off my phone, so it would be pointless.
 
That's pretty shocking!

Thank goodness for custom roms and voiding warranties :p
 
francoislr said:
Never been a problem on my side since I rooted from week 2, and have never been behind.
Click to expand...
This should not be necessary. I think there is still something to be said for the hardware and software coming from the same place. Buy a Nokia, get your updates from Nokia, buy an Apple get your updates from Apple.

Hopefully Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility will change this and other Android manufacturers will be more inclined to keep their devices up to date.

francoislr said:
Don't know if I would want to run ICS on my HTC Desire, because soft buttons + hardware buttons cuts a good 5cmx7mm chunk off my phone, so it would be pointless.
Click to expand...
Can't the soft buttons be switched off in ICS?
 
ginggs said:
This should not be necessary. I think there is still something to be said for the hardware and software coming from the same place. Buy a Nokia, get your updates from Nokia, buy an Apple get your updates from Apple.

Hopefully Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility will change this and other Android manufacturers will be more inclined to keep their devices up to date.


Can't the soft buttons be switched off in ICS?
Click to expand...

You are right, it should not be necessary. But this was part of the idea behind ICS: Everyone puts their own skin on Android (HTC Sense, ect) and because of this Google can't do the updates, HTC or the other manufacturers have to update it first before they can update the devices. I don't know if ICS will be the unified android OS that they originally intended: Same on all phones and tablets, but I sure as darn hope it is! Will be the start of the solution to the problem.

Not sure about the soft buttons. It is Android, so the answer is, if they can't, someone will find a way.
 
ginggs said:
Hopefully Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility will change this and other Android manufacturers will be more inclined to keep their devices up to date.
Click to expand...

They will have to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat to succeed. Almost all of Motorola's handsets have had shocking support with no updates for some, not even a single update.
I will first want to see Google prove themselves with this brand before ever again even considering anything Motorola again.
 
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