Why do devices running Android-based operating systems, almost never receive updates? While I certainly am not a crapple fan (I own an Android-based device myself), and don't eat shit from my hands, it bugs me that devices running Android-based operating systems 99.9 percent of the time never receive updates. Why pay 100-200$ for a phone, only go never receive updates and be forced to upgrade 2 years down the road. Also, I think that if security exploits are found, companies should be liable for any damage caused by lost and/or stolen data on phones that have been sold in retailers within the past 2 1/2 years.
>>51411820
>damage caused
Damage caused by the exploit of course.
>>51411820
The fault lies with the manufacturer and carriers who distribute and have total control over the software, not Android itself.
Google let Android be so open that when it's picked up and developed by third parties, those third parties simply choose not to support it past few years because a) it's too much work and b) it makes them more money.
It's much easier to force users to upgrade to a newer device as opposed to continuing support for devices that will be easily superceded by new ones.
If you really want an Android device that will receive updates reliably, get one with an unlockable bootloader.
Android isn't designed with updates in mind.
"Updating" a device is just as much effort as building android from scratch.
To top this off, the SoC manufacturers usually release drivers tailored to the current version of android and that only, so OEM's end up having to encapsulate them in crap, so updating can end up being MORE work than originally getting android on the thing.
Add to that having to do this entire process individually for every fucking device, add to that most people only keeping their phones for 8 months anyway, add to that carriers wanting to fuck around in the software for months, then send it back to the hardware manufacturer to fix up their fuckups.
All in all despite android being a fucking VM it's not designed to just have the top layer updated, an update goes down to the kernal and everything has to be remade.
>>51411929
It's not just not that simple, it's a fucking nightmare.
You'll spend a week decompiling drivers and working out a bugfix for a chip that only one product ever used, and that product has less that 50,000 active users
>>51411820
Cyanogenmod nightly builds get updates daily
>>51411820
>I bought a phone from a company despite it having the shittiest update record ever
>why doesn't my phone get any updates?
Stop buying samshit or other crap devices. Do a 5 minute research. 99.9% of the time you can guess whether a device will get any updates by looking up the brand's track record.
For example, you want to buy a cheapo phone, you have 3 options: the 2015 moto g, the galaxy a3 and some chinkshit. Samsung never updates their end devices, look at all the minis. The chinese brand has no track record of updating because it's new on the market. The moto g 2013 and 2014 both run android 5.1 and both of them will probably get marshmallow. Which one do you buy?
With you being this retarded, I expect you to buy the Samsung and then go on /g/ and complain about it.
>>51412636
Jeez, helpful but rude, It's my first time getting an android device.
>>51412744
Welcome to /g/. I'll help you if you need any other info in the same manner.
>>51411820
It sure feels good to be Windows Phone master race.
>>51412744
If updates are a top priority to you, get a Nexus device or a device that can run Cyanogenmod
>>51411899
I literally have no idea what I'm talking about: The post
>>51412744
You're not on reddit, faggot.
Google is doing this but indirectly, you can download stuff like their keyboard and launcher and other apps stay updated for everyone.
>>51411820
Decentralized updating software repo process because Google gave Open Handset alliance power to control the OS. What happens is that OEM, and careers stop updating the device to force you to buy a new phone.
