For every Android update, Google’s release of code to OEMs starts an industry-wide race to get the new enhancements out to customers. So how did everyone do this year? Who was the first with KitKat, and who was the last? What effect does your carrier have on updates? How has the speed of Android updates changed compared to earlier years?
Nice overview that may help during your next purchasing decision, and which neatly illustrates Android’s biggest weakness. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t include non-stock ROMs.
My Moto G is still in Android 4.2, no 4.4 updates even if is available in other countries, I don’t have any hope to get it updated to “L” Android, I’m sure that many carriers and OEMs will avoid the update to use it as a lever to sell more new phones.
It is a sad reality.
I’m surprised as i switched on my Moto G a couple of weeks ago and it updated to 4.4.4
Mines unlocked in the UK (i.e. not sim locked to O2 or EE)
Perhaps thats why i got it quicker?
It is 4.4.2 not 4.2, sorry.
What KK features do you need?
When my carrier upgraded from 4.2.2 to 4.4.2 there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth from a number of users who didn’t like the changes.
While it was possible to avoid the update by consistently, repeatedly declining it, quite a few updated without thinking about it or by accident/mistake. At that point there was no going back due to a change in the bootloader which prevented downgrading (it’s an all-Moto carrier.)
I have KK on my phone and I can go back to JB if I decide to. But it took some serious work to accomplish that and I doubt most users would find the process approachable, for a variety of reason.
Perhaps there are other carriers you could use when you are ready to upgrade your phone. Or, if it’s a really big problem maybe it’s time to jump now and consider the cost as part of a lesson learned.
I’m currently using 4.4.2 (I can’t edit original coment, sorry).
From 4.4.2 to 4.4.4 the battery last longer, the camera takes better pictures and you can pause video recording.
Those are atractive updates for me.
Ok, I understand now.
So this may not be a deal breaker with your current carrier then.
You may be able to install the new camera app but improving battery life might be a bit more complicated. Something like installing a new scheduler which will likely require root.
How is that possible? I thought that the Moto G launched with Android 4.3?
Edited 2014-08-21 18:42 UTC
My bad, I mean from 4.4.2 to 4.4.4.
For one, drivers for the various components should be officially maintained on Google’s servers and ROM-makers should explicitly be given the permission to use them in their creations.
Secondly, manufacturers should provide a simple, easy-to-use tool for people to switch over to the latest Google-maintained Android-version for which up-to-date drivers exist. This could be coupled with a system where, if your hardware matches certain ID, you’re given access to various apps and tools in Play Market that were provided by the manufacturer, but which aren’t available to anyone else — this way manufacturers could still offer “value add” on their products even for stock-Android-users.
These two changes wouldn’t fix the situation, but they’d at least improve things. A proper fix would likely require a complete revamp of how Android is used and distributed and would simply be too disruptive an act to anyone willing to commit to such. Of course, neither of these will be done either, manufacturers don’t want their old devices to hang about longer than the minimum necessary.
I’m far from an Android expert but this rush to update the OS scares me a little. I’m not happy at all with some of Google’s policies especially with what I feel is a systematic attempt to push users to the ‘cloud’. I recently purchased a Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 (love it) and while I have write access to my SD Card, I’m concerned I might lose it altogether with a future update. More information here: http://alturl.com/jxxw7
It’s issues like these that articles like those from Ars Technica leave out.
It has little to do with the cloud and more to do with the FAT patents, right?
Google is trying to force everyone into the cloud. Unfortunately cloud storage is totally impractical in many cases. In Australia most data plans are only 1-3GB/month and there is no network access at all in many places.
If I buy hardware with a microSD slot, it’s because I want access to it. What I’m saying is that it’s possible that some of the reasons why there are delays getting Google’s latest and “greatest” on some devices may have to do with the new upgrade breaking things (by design).
In cases like these, as a device owner, I’d rather opt-out of the upgrade if it means losing access to something I based my purchasing on. I was thrilled to be able to connect my 1TB FreeAgent Go recently (haven’t had time to test my 4TB external). I’d hate to think that external USBs are the next storage medium to go based on, what I feel, is a self-serving policy.
KitKat introduced the Storage Access Framework (See the docs: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provid… ).
The SAF is the supported way to access all storage on Android – whether that be local storage or cloud. The Android system includes the External Storage Provider, which permits access to any inserted SD cards (though you may need to enable showing them in Settings)
There is no conspiracy here. Google are just patching up holes in the Android application sandbox. Applications shouldn’t have unrestricted access to the contents of your SD card!
It omits custom roms because cyanogenmod had kit kat in cm11 nightlies within weeks of the source release on all of those phones.
http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/this-week-in-cm-nov-9-2013
First: if you put CM on your phone and it doesn’t work it is YOUR problem. If a manufacturer updates your phone and it doesn’t work it is THEIR problem to make it work again. Certainly within 2 years after purchase (here in Europe).
Second: not everybody can and/or is allowed to put another ROM on their phone because of work or another reason.
The only smartphone in my house is one that my wify had to buy for work (paid by her work), so we have zero option to put another ROM on it untill she can choose another one after 2 years.
Because of very little choice she has a Samsung S4 mini LTE which should get kitkat, but I haven’t seen the update yet.
Who cares about how fast an update comes out for a phone that is 1 year old or less?
The problem is that updates will not be available for those so called “flagship” phones anymore when the next generation (within 1 to 2 years) flagship phones come out.
This has been the long standing problem with the proprietary closed tech phone market (in particular Android).
So… if you’re having to buy (forced) a new phone very year to 2 years… I really don’t understand how OS upgrades are ever going to be a problem.
The problem is that super phone you bought 2 years ago has been declared crapola by Samsung/HTC/etc… even though you paid a lot for it. And it will never receive another update. And while the newer phones are marginally faster, there’s nothing preventing your former ultra champion from running the new software, except that your phone vendor will simply not do the work to make it available.
And the phone vendors wonder why so many people end up rooting their phones (potentially causing them some problems)…. they root them so they can upgrade out of support using a non-vendor supplied rom that gets them something supported and maintained…
Edited 2014-08-22 16:30 UTC
Virtually all vendors offer at least one update to flagship models. Each upgrade cycle becomes less important. Gingerbread to Jelly Bean was a major upgrade. Kit Kat is a relatively minor upgrade to Jelly Bean. Dot point upgrades are pretty trivial.
If you have 4.2 or later you aren’t going to see huge improvements by upgrading the system software. Most of the upgraded apps (including many core components such as maps) can be downloaded from the Play Store.
Edited 2014-08-23 10:42 UTC