one year old iPhone > one year old Android?

[Alik Malix]

Someone using a 3GS since 2009 maybe in that position now after 4 plus years.

<--Right here, my last update for my almost 5 year old 3GS was 6.1.3 and that was current right up to a few weeks before iOS 7 release... Thru its lifetime, the updates added 85% of new software, and abilities of what the entire OS offered when I bought it. With 64bit processor, iPhone 5S is going to be my next 5 year phone...

 

[jburke82]

For sure. I'm still trying to figure out how the poster couldn't get their grammar right whist only two words.

Haha. A simple little "s" placed at the end of either word would have made the statement coherant!

 

[mulasien]

I can t ell you all of my friend's one year old Android devices are up to date. And my 2 year old device is up to date.

Maybe the original question should be rephrased: Is your non-Nexus Android device up to date?

The only non-Nexus Android devices I ever saw getting updated in a semi-timely fashion were Asus wifi tablets (TF300, etc). I had a TF300 for about a year and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it got new updates.

My AT&T Galaxy S2, on the other hand, was the opposite story. It got 4.0 a good 8 months after it came up, and didn't get 4.1 until a FULL FREAKING YEAR after it was released. Even better, when 4.0.4 was pushed out for the phone, it introduced a very widespread bug where the phone would often not wake from sleep without a hard reboot. Took AT&T 3 months to admit there was an issue, and another two more months to actually push an update out (I put CM 10.1 on it way before they finally pushed it out).

That's the problem with Android, IMHO. If your phone doesn't get updates in a timely manner, or has different quirks, the response on the Android boards are "oh, you got the WRONG Android phone, you should have gotten THIS phone instead (usually a Nexus). It works great while this one is crap." Either that or "put a custom ROM on it." Someone who already isn't a PhD in Android expertise has to spend way too long doing research to make sure they get the 'right' phone so they don't get stuck with a never-to-be-updated lemon, or read up on XDA forums to figure out how to ROM their phone without bricking it. I've worked in IT and with tech my entire life, and I found the process confusing and intimidating. Do you think that's an acceptable solution for the average Joe?

If I can't trust the largest Android manufacturer to update their top of the line flagship phone (at the time) in a timely fashion, and fix phone crippling bugs in less than 5 months, then what hope do I have?

"But...choices are good! You get more choices with Android vs. just one choice with Apple." - That may be true, however if 95% of those choices are bargain bin garbage, leaving you hoping that you're paying your hard earned money on the 5% of 'choices' that aren't a waste of money...is that really a good thing? At least with an Apple product, you KNOW that you're getting a well made piece of hardware with great software that will actually be supported and updated for several years, even if there's less options to choose from. Finding an Android device with the same level of hardware/software quality and support is like going to a casino.

And yes, I know the answer for all problems Android are "get a Nexus". I get that. Problem is, if they're the end all be all of solving all of Android's woes, then why does hardly anybody outside of the tech enthusiast community own one? Why does hardly anyone outside of the tech community know that they even exist? Why isn't Google using their hoards of cash to advertise "Hey, these Android phones actually don't suck! You should get one instead of the crap that HTC and Samsung is peddling." And furthermore, if Google wants Nexus devices to be their flagship reference device, maybe they shouldn't make them with mid-tier hardware every year (the display and cameras on the last couple Nexus models have been very middle of the road).

Before you accuse me of being a blind iSheep. I was a very large Android fanboy just a short time ago, having had both one of their (at the time) top end phones and tablets. I'm pretty well versed on their environment and pros/cons. However, note that I 'WAS' a fan. There's a reason for that. The above is one reason why.

 

[swarlos]

Maybe the original question should be rephrased: Is your non-Nexus Android device up to date?

The only non-Nexus Android devices I ever saw getting updated in a semi-timely fashion were Asus wifi tablets (TF300, etc). I had a TF300 for about a year and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it got new updates.

My AT&T Galaxy S2, on the other hand, was the opposite story. It got 4.0 a good 8 months after it came up, and didn't get 4.1 until a FULL FREAKING YEAR after it was released. Even better, when 4.0.4 was pushed out for the phone, it introduced a very widespread bug where the phone would often not wake from sleep without a hard reboot. Took AT&T 3 months to admit there was an issue, and another two more months to actually push an update out (I put CM 10.1 on it way before they finally pushed it out).

That's the problem with Android, IMHO. If your phone doesn't get updates in a timely manner, or has different quirks, the response on the Android boards are "oh, you got the WRONG Android phone, you should have gotten THIS phone instead (usually a Nexus). It works great while this one is crap." Either that or "put a custom ROM on it." Someone who already isn't a PhD in Android expertise has to spend way too long doing research to make sure they get the 'right' phone so they don't get stuck with a never-to-be-updated lemon, or read up on XDA forums to figure out how to ROM their phone without bricking it. I've worked in IT and with tech my entire life, and I found the process confusing and intimidating. Do you think that's an acceptable solution for the average Joe?

If I can't trust the largest Android manufacturer to update their top of the line flagship phone (at the time) in a timely fashion, and fix phone crippling bugs in less than 5 months, then what hope do I have?

"But...choices are good! You get more choices with Android vs. just one choice with Apple." - That may be true, however if 95% of those choices are bargain bin garbage, leaving you hoping that you're paying your hard earned money on the 5% of 'choices' that aren't a waste of money...is that really a good thing? At least with an Apple product, you KNOW that you're getting a well made piece of hardware with great software that will actually be supported and updated for several years, even if there's less options to choose from. Finding an Android device with the same level of hardware/software quality and support is like going to a casino.

And yes, I know the answer for all problems Android are "get a Nexus". I get that. Problem is, if they're the end all be all of solving all of Android's woes, then why does hardly anybody outside of the tech enthusiast community own one? Why does hardly anyone outside of the tech community know that they even exist? Why isn't Google using their hoards of cash to advertise "Hey, these Android phones actually don't suck! You should get one instead of the crap that HTC and Samsung is peddling." And furthermore, if Google wants Nexus devices to be their flagship reference device, maybe they shouldn't make them with mid-tier hardware every year (the display and cameras on the last couple Nexus models have been very middle of the road).

Before you accuse me of being a blind iSheep. I was a very large Android fanboy just a short time ago, having had both one of their (at the time) top end phones and tablets. I'm pretty well versed on their environment and pros/cons. However, note that I 'WAS' a fan. There's a reason for that. The above is one reason why.

Very well said! Seems that most the Apple haters on the Android side haven't even used or owned an iPhone ever they are the blind followers.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[Armada]

if Google wants Nexus devices to be their flagship reference device, maybe they shouldn't make them with mid-tier hardware every year (the display and cameras on the last couple Nexus models have been very middle of the road).

This is the problem I have with your argument. The Nexus line is and always was the spiritual successor to the original Android Dev Phone devices. They are not Google's "flagship" device. That carries a different meaning in tech these days. A flagship is considered to be top of the line hardware; the leader of the pack for an OEM (the GS4, the HTC One, the Moto X, the iPhone 5s). The Nexus is an "ambassador." It is a (relatively) affordable way for an Android developer to get a standards compliant Android device with an up-to-date operating system to test their application on. The Nexus is more for the independent developer, not the large one that can afford many devices to test with. It doesn't need the best hardware because it's not a hardware reference. It's a software reference. I believe many people get that confused.

The Nexus 7 is the only real exception. It is, in fact, marketed as a flagship. Google uses it as a way to bring users into it's ecosystem. That's why it's actually pretty top-notch and why Google actually pushes it. It was the device that I think caused Apple to follow suit into the "small" tablet realm (well, maybe the Kindle Fire helped too).

Very well said! Seems that most the Apple haters on the Android side haven't even used or owned an iPhone ever they are the blind followers.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

So, it's wrong and bad to blanket all iMore/iPhone users sheep, but for Android it's fine? Seeing as I kinda pulled that crap and realized how dumb it is I can't defend someone else trying it. EDIT: I get that you're saying that the "haters" have no reason to actually dislike Apple (or have never used an Apple product) but that's still pretty unfair, not to mention a big assumption.

 

[swarlos]

This is the problem I have with your argument. The Nexus line is and always was the spiritual successor to the original Android Dev Phone devices. They are not Google's "flagship" device. That carries a different meaning in tech these days. A flagship is considered to be top of the line hardware; the leader of the pack for an OEM (the GS4, the HTC One, the Moto X, the iPhone 5s). The Nexus is an "ambassador." It is a (relatively) affordable way for an Android developer to get a standards compliant Android device with an up-to-date operating system to test their application on. The Nexus is more for the independent developer, not the large one that can afford many devices to test with. It doesn't need the best hardware because it's not a hardware reference. It's a software reference. I believe many people get that confused.

The Nexus 7 is the only real exception. It is, in fact, marketed as a flagship. Google uses it as a way to bring users into it's ecosystem. That's why it's actually pretty top-notch and why Google actually pushes it. It was the device that I think caused Apple to follow suit into the "small" tablet realm (well, maybe the Kindle Fire helped too).



So, it's wrong and bad to blanket all iMore/iPhone users sheep, but for Android it's fine? Seeing as I kinda pulled that crap and realized how dumb it is I can't defend someone else trying it. EDIT: I get that you're saying that the "haters" have no reason to actually dislike Apple (or have never used an Apple product) but that's still pretty unfair, not to mention a big assumption.

No it's not fine I used to call Apple users isheep when I defected to Android after the 3G. But it seems very fine for many Android users to label us isheep with little to no experience or sometimes in my case of having used an iPhone.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[mulasien]

This is the problem I have with your argument. The Nexus line is and always was the spiritual successor to the original Android Dev Phone devices. They are not Google's "flagship" device. That carries a different meaning in tech these days. A flagship is considered to be top of the line hardware; the leader of the pack for an OEM (the GS4, the HTC One, the Moto X, the iPhone 5s). The Nexus is an "ambassador." It is a (relatively) affordable way for an Android developer to get a standards compliant Android device with an up-to-date operating system to test their application on. The Nexus is more for the independent developer, not the large one that can afford many devices to test with. It doesn't need the best hardware because it's not a hardware reference. It's a software reference. I believe many people get that confused.

Point taken and I agree. However I believe that reinforces my other point. The top end hardware 'flagship' phones aren't Nexus devices (One, GS4, etc). That brings us back to the original question of 'Will those flagship phones be updated a year from now?". Given past history, I don't think anyone can say they'll have the latest version of Android a year from now while keeping a straight face. That's the entire point of the OP. 'Will your (non-Nexus) Android device be up to date a year from now?' I'm going to have to go with 'NO'.

So it's either get a Nexus phone that will get timely updates, but with lesser hardware (camera is a big one), OR get a flagship phone with the best hardware but you might or might not actually get an update sometime this year - and good luck on the year after that, OR get a Google edition of one of those phones but you have to pay full price (has anyone confirmed if the Google edition phones get updates as quick as Nexus phones?).

 

[Armada]

No it's not fine I used to call Apple users isheep when I defected to Android after the 3G. But it seems very fine for many Android users to label us isheep with little to no experience or sometimes in my case of having used an iPhone.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

I don't know, I still feel like that's a misleading perception. Not every iPhone user is an obnoxious hipster. Not every Android user is an obnoxious tech nerd. Sometimes it comes down to an "us versus them" mentality. Like we have to assert that our camp, our device, our operating system, is superior. And then we assert we're superior because we don't blindly follow. We're better than them. By insisting we're better though, we perpetuate that cycle. It's okay to dislike Android. It's okay to dislike iOS or Windows Phone or BB10. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but when it crosses over that point, that's where I have a beef. mulasien's post was his opinion but I think your post reached over into a notion about Android users as a whole.

I guess maybe I'm getting too worked up about it, eh?

OR get a Google edition of one of those phones but you have to pay full price (has anyone confirmed if the Google edition phones get updates as quick as Nexus phones?).

They get updates shortly after the Nexus line. Seems to be a couple weeks, based on the 4.3 update.

 

[swarlos]

I don't know, I still feel like that's a misleading perception. Not every iPhone user is an obnoxious hipster. Not every Android user is an obnoxious tech nerd. Sometimes it comes down to an "us versus them" mentality. Like we have to assert that our camp, our device, our operating system, is superior. And then we assert we're superior because we don't blindly follow. We're better than them. By insisting we're better though, we perpetuate that cycle. It's okay to dislike Android. It's okay to dislike iOS or Windows Phone or BB10. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but when it crosses over that point, that's where I have a beef. mulasien's post was his opinion but I think your post reached over into a notion about Android users as a whole.

I guess maybe I'm getting too worked up about it, eh?

I love Android but I just don't feel it's the operating system for me anymore at least till they get the update situation knuckled down.

I don't want to come off superior because I used Android for 2 years and loved it but I missed my iPhone and I got bored with constantly flashing roms.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[Armada]

I love Android but I just don't feel it's the operating system for me anymore at least till they get the update situation knuckled down n


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

And that's fine. I feel the same way (at least for devices I can afford on Verizon). I'm not mad, just trying to share some of my thoughts. Sorry if it came off like I was jumping down your throat.

 

[swarlos]

And that's fine. I feel the same way (at least for devices I can afford on Verizon). I'm not mad, just trying to share some of my thoughts. Sorry if it came off like I was jumping down your throat.

It's all good I did come off kind of douchey too LOL.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[mulasien]

And that's fine. I feel the same way (at least for devices I can afford on Verizon). I'm not mad, just trying to share some of my thoughts. Sorry if it came off like I was jumping down your throat.

It's all good I did come off kind of douchey too LOL.

Group hug, everyone!

 

[swarlos]

Group hug, everyone!

Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[anon5664829]

Group hug, everyone!

&#55357;&#56428;&#55357;&#56429;&#55357;&#56427;


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

This always happens, there is a "misunderstanding", shots fired then suddenly we are all a big happy family again.

*Cries* *Joins group hug*

 

[pappy53]

@mynameis...

"Now, there are probably a lot of people that have 4S, 4's, and even the 3GS. But those phones are years old and can't run iOS 7."

Huh?

 

[Tiburon41]

Threads like these are why the term "iSheep" exists. As an Android user reading this just made me groan. I can t ell you all of my friend's one year old Android devices are up to date. And my 2 year old device is up to date. I have other select words I'll keep to myself.

Ironically, this is the exact reason why I LEFT Android to come to the iPhone side. I had a Motorola Droid X, then upgraded to a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. Both were the flagship phones on Verizon at the time of their release, and neither was ever on the "latest" iteration of Android. The "up to date" aspect of Android is fantastic--IF you have a Nexus phone or root/rom your device. Both my devices were rooted and rom'd, and the Nexus line was still far ahead in terms of Android version to my device and it's locked bootloader (to be fair). The problem that Android presented to me was the fragmentation associated with having different devices/hardware on different carrier skin versions, all of whom had input into when an "official" version of the software could be installed.

 

[mumfoau]

I'm wondering if this is starting to change. I bought a note 2 about 3 weeks ago and that device is a little over a year old. On today it was updated to the latest version of android, jelly bean 4.3! That's progress to be sure!

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk

 

[anon5664829]

I'm wondering if this is starting to change. I bought a note 2 about 3 weeks ago and that device is a little over a year old. On today it was updated to the latest version of android, jelly bean 4.3! That's progress to be sure!

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk

Latest is 4.4.2 KitKat that I have on my Nexus 4.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[mumfoau]

Latest is 4.4.2 KitKat that I have on my Nexus 4.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Mobile Nations mobile app

I thought about that after I posted lol but considering the history of lack of support for older devices this is progress

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk

 

[anon5664829]

I thought about that after I posted lol but considering the history of lack of support for older devices this is progress

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk

Motorola smashed it outta the park.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Mobile Nations mobile app