Michael Degusta made an interesting chart detailing Android OS software upgrade support for 18 popular devices released over the past couple of years.
The results are disturbing if you expected a pattern of support:
- 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.
Could you imagine if Apple forced you to buy a new phone every time they updated iOS? People would riot. The only Android phone i would even consider buying is whatever Google has anointed it’s “official” Nexus device. At least then you’ll get the theoretical “maximum” amount of software updates.
Future OS upgrades are something people rarely think about when shopping for a new phone, but it’s a very real problem with Android. Of course, if you don’t care about getting new features or security updates on your $200 on contract device, then feel free to keep ignoring the issue.
Nevermind that it would make you the technological equivalent of people who don’t like more cash.
via the understatement: Android Orphans: Visualizing a Sad History of Support.
