Smartphone manufacturers not able to offer Android updates?

Apparently the smartphone manufacturers are not willing or able to offer updates for their devices, even if there are already new Android versions that would be executable. There is no other explanation for the fact that more than 60% of all Android devices still work with Android 1.5 or 1.6 - 2.1 is the current version, which as a modified version also works on older devices like the T-Mobile G1.

So the question is: why are there no updates from the manufacturers? Possible reasons:

  • New devices with new software are to be sold
  • The effort to port proprietary changes to the Android OS is too great
  • The manufacturers simply do not care what the customers want

Point 3 will definitely play a role, otherwise there would be updates directly from the manufacturers. Thus, the customers of the first Android smartphone generation are looking at the tube, and the potential customers of the current version are put off, as they don't know what to expect. The main competitor Apple, on the other hand, understands that the same software runs on all three Iphone versions, only limited if something is missing in the hardware (like the compass of the 3GS or GPS). Why is this not possible in the Android world?

Source: Android Platform Versions

3 comments

  1. That is *exactly* my reservation about android. The Closed Shop Apple deserves heavy criticism, but has an advantage here.

  2. Fortunately, Google is faster with the Nexus One. The problem is the customizing of the devices. Every manufacturer installs some widgets that are permanently integrated into the OS and there are always problems with updates. Especially with devices that were not sold so often you can notice this.

  3. @Franca

    Well, then the manufacturers should just leave it alone - Android + Apps is actually good enough from my point of view. Or just manage to offer updates - that there will be updates for Android was well known 😉

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