[Q] Android Operating System Updates - General Questions and Answers

Will Android release updates at the pace that Apple does?
When Apple has a new software update, millions of iDevices update their software.
When it comes to Android and their software updates, hardly anyone gets it.
I mean, Ice Cream Sandwich has been out since October, but only 1% of Android devices have the new Software.
I know that Jelly Bean is being released sometime at the end of this year, and will it be possible for it to be a mass release, that everyone is able to upgrade their device?
I'm sorry if this is a bad question, it's just that I'm new to Android, and don't really know much about how it works.

It is up to the device manufacturer and carrier.

xMoKax said:
Will Android release updates at the pace that Apple does?
When Apple has a new software update, millions of iDevices update their software.
When it comes to Android and their software updates, hardly anyone gets it.
I mean, Ice Cream Sandwich has been out since October, but only 1% of Android devices have the new Software.
I know that Jelly Bean is being released sometime at the end of this year, and will it be possible for it to be a mass release, that everyone is able to upgrade their device?
I'm sorry if this is a bad question, it's just that I'm new to Android, and don't really know much about how it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No.
2. Good for them . Have you noticed the tiny number of devices they have (almost being exactly the same )?
3. It depends on the carrier and manufacturer.
4. Same as #3 in addition to the device.
5. No, same thing as #3.
6. Read, do research, and read some more.

Related

[Q] What's next after Gingerbread (for phones I mean)?

Hi, hope this is the right thread to post this.
Anyways, with Honeycomb (and Ice Cream after that) being the next major Android release, and it being developed and focused more for tablet hardware/size, what do you think (if anything) will be next for Android phones after Gingerbread?
Given that Honeycomb, and the releases after, will probably require/utilize better hardware in terms of Android devices (ie. tablets), do you think Gingerbread is the "last" major Android release we'll see targeted specifically for phone devices?
If so, that would be disappointing. I know some people have uses for tablets, but frankly the smartphone for me is still the most capable and versatile device to come out in years, given that you can actually fit it in your pocket. I hope Google doesn't completely abandon Android development for phone-centric devices, and to see 2.5/2.6 updates.

Google to take on Apple iPhone with new Samsung Nexus Prime

Google to take on Apple iPhone with new Samsung Nexus Prime
Google and Samsung have announced that they will reveal "what’s new from Android" on 11 October. Sources inside the companies confirmed that the event will see the launch of a major new product, heavily rumoured to be the Samsung Nexus Prime.
The new handset that will run Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the operating system.
The San Diego event will be the first time Google has launched an operating system that runs on both tablets and phones, and takes place the week after Apple is set to announce its latest iPhone in California.
Rumours about the prime’s specifications suggest it will feature a dual-core processor, a large 4.5? screen and 4G capabilities for countries where they are available. Speculation has also suggested that the event will include a new tablet, or at least an update for the software currently running on existing Samsung tablets.
Google has been keen to emphasise that, despite continued wrangles over patent law, it is continuing to launch new hardware and software. A spokesman said that “Microsoft are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others’ achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners.”
The search giant believes new hardware and new announcements with manufacturers will convince the industry that it will not be cowed by legal action.
- Matt Warman
http://www.independent.ie/business/...one-with-new-samsung-nexus-prime-2892728.html
The new handset that will run Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the operating system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so if this is to be believed ICS is the finished article already,i was under the impression it would be nearer the end of the year before we would see ICS, and the 2.3.5 leaked update has only appeared on here
I still say this..If android had the quality of apps that iphone has forget about the iphone all together...Android for me is tops and my galaxy s2 i love it to death...i am sure we are going to get the update of ICS and im sure Gadget or any other dev will port it to us once released....
I am waiting for the s3 to come out next year and im sure that will be one of the best phones when its released..For the time being as long as devs support our handset no need to change it...
and figure it out bud. apple knows that android is growing day by day month by month..so they try and bully the way to get competition out...great post and i am sure you will get many opinions in here
Yeah i doubt ill be changing my phone until next year at the very least i only have the GS2 under 4 months anyway.
I'm surprised though that a leaked version of ICS had not been posted on here when according to this article it will be on this new phone which will be launched on October 11th in 10 days time.
jonny68 said:
Yeah i doubt ill be changing my phone until next year at the very least i only have the GS2 under 4 months anyway.
I'm surprised though that a leaked version of ICS had not been posted on here when according to this article it will be on this new phone which will be launched on October 11th in 10 days time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a google device, they always get them first. If we're lucky and ICS source is released to Samsung et all on Oct 11th then we might have a leak come November. God knows when an official build will go out.
Hollow.Droid said:
It's a google device, they always get them first. If we're lucky and ICS source is released to Samsung et all on Oct 11th then we might have a leak come November. God knows when an official build will go out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agree totally to that. hopefully by Nov we should have a leaked rom..hopefully that is

Ice cream sandwich ( ICS) might be worst for android?

I just read this article, a good eye opener for those craving for ICS
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394929,00.asp
Google needs to look to Microsoft as an example of how to get updates right. Compared to the grinding misery of the Android non-update schedule, Microsoft's transition from Windows Phone 7 to Mango is going pretty smoothly.
Like Google, Microsoft has to deal with different OEMs and get its software approved by carriers. Like Google, Microsoft has to deal with different form factors—phones with physical keyboards and without, for instance.
Yes, Apple gets it right too, but that's a little boring; Apple has only one OEM (itself) and a handful of models, so it's much easier to push out updates to iPhones and iPads.
Earlier this year, Google and its OEMs formed a consortium to pledge to deliver prompt updates, but absolutely zero concrete work has come out of that group. Every single U.S. Windows Phone will update to Mango within weeks. Two-year-old iPhones can get iOS 5. But owners of Android phones and tablets just a few months old have no clue when, or whether their gadgets will get Ice Cream Sandwich (or for that matter, sometimes still even Gingerbread.)
Microsoft keeps its Windows Phone line down to one screen resolution and chipset, and doesn't allow manufacturers to skin the OS. I don't want to see Google take on the first requirement, as competition between chip manufacturers has been a major force driving Android's advances. But even if one chipset at a time got Android updates, it would still be a major step forward.
If manufacturer skins are really stopping updates, it may finally be time for Google to find a way to punish OEMs that can't keep up with the pace of change. Google likes to trumpet its openy-ness, but the company has always blessed and punished OEMs by giving or withholding the Android Market and Gmail apps that are necessary to have a decent Android device. Google needs to set a time limit for OEMs to implement changes.
Ice Cream Sandwich looks great. So when can we get it, how can we find apps for it, and how can app developers address the widest variety of Android devices easily? That's what Google needs to answer clearly and concisely.
and it made me think alot.
I'm an android fan, but i feel this author's opinion is quite true.
whats the point of having a good and new OS but its just available on a over priced nexus phone?
android updates are slow (i mean around 6 months or probably never). and silly manufacturers are further delaying it by their custom UI. This is just sad sad news for android.
i better stop reading news about ICS, just to make myself less miserable.
in my country, malaysia, the sgs2 is still at 2.3.3. which is another reason to forget about the ICS.
I agree, that's probably the biggest stumbling block of Android. When Apple fanboys say, "When Apple releases iOS 5, most iPhones (3GS onwards) can join in the party immediately. With Android, you have to wait and you might not even get the update at all", I have no response to that, because they are right.
One thing though, Microsoft controls the hardware specs of WP7 phones very closely. Sure there's differences here and there, but not as far reaching as a Galaxy 3 vs a Galaxy S2.
Well, heres my opinion about this subject:
No, it will not make things worst, i have been using android since donut with an HTC Magic, from which i had tried 2.1 and 2.2. Never resourcing from HTC's official releases.
I'll put it simple, for someone who needs a smartphone, almost every verion of android will do, you get to manage emails on the go, music, photos, market+apps, you get the point.
Now for someone that takes "what version of android i'm running" into consideration, there are solutions to run the latest. Me for example, i do take it into consideration, and i'm running 2.3.5 on a LG2X which only has 2.2 officially.
If this was real reality, what about X86 OS's? i mean, win3.1, win95, win98, win98ME, win2K, winXP, winVISTA, win7 and now win8... And im only talking about microsoft.
Theres no such thing has fragmentation. As for the development problems regarding which target android version will "I" develop to. Cmon, theres good coding or bad coding. OFC theres some API's that are only available since version X of the android version, but still, good coding would prevent the use of this API even if it means having less functionality.
I believe android is in the right track, ICS looks to have some nice improvements, although the main development i saw was design ("Make me awesome"), i believe there has been some improvements regarding stability+smoothness+usability.
Next stop is: "Google needs to look to Microsoft as an example of how to get updates right." Wait a second, google has made the most successful mobile OS and it needs to look to Microsoft for *whatever*?
"Yes, Apple gets it right too" No! if in Sascha's opinion Fragmentation is a problem, Apple is having the same issue, but it is coming later than android, mainly due to the 23454345672384 OEM's android has versus the 1 OEM Apple has! I mean, 1 oem, 1 OS = iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch Xgen, iPad, iPad 2.. FFS! fragmentation? a single oem has made more devices than most android OEM's has! (not true, but quite)
[EDIT] Sorry im berserking.
"Microsoft keeps its Windows Phone line down to one screen resolution and chipset" if this was done in the Android habitat, there would be no sense in making different versions, varying prices, and so on. Fragmentation is good in some aspects, one of them being the different prices devices can get.
As for the version and updates problem, how about attacking the OEM's itself instead of Google? Since google is the main "victim" of this article, google has made all it can do to get it "corrected" (if this is a problem) and it even does not own the OEM's companies! All phones launched by google have had some nice updates, keeping it with the most recent OS all the time. (Yes i'm talking about the nexus lineup, Nexus One is 2 years old, so i guess it will not get ICS, still iphone 2G will not get iOS 5 neither.)
[EDIT2] Now i'm haywire.
Just take a look at the article comments, the writer ends up having no arguments. FFS He's calling WP7 an example for updates! saying that the OS provider has the obligation the get OEM's in line...NO! thats the good thing about Android, it is free, free to use, and free to transform. Every OEM is responsible for what they do with the devices they sell, and the OS they ship it with.
Thats like saying that my Dinossaur pc doesn't run windows 7 and call it Microsoft's fault, because my PC only have 96MB of Ram! Isn't that almost Apple-fanboy talk? The os provider must develop the HW for it to run properly.
Logi_Ca1 said:
When Apple fanboys say, "When Apple releases iOS 5, most iPhones (3GS onwards) can join in the party immediately. With Android, you have to wait and you might not even get the update at all", I have no response to that, because they are right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true, except for one thing. There is a response.
If you want iOS, you have the choice of black or white. If you want Android then you have the choice of hundreds of different devices. It's a trade-off that I am more than happy with. I prefer choice over regular updates, especially when the OS is already good enough anyway.
Usually you get leaked firmwares before official release anyway. So I don't see the issue.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
drelite08 said:
Usually you get leaked firmwares before official release anyway. So I don't see the issue.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that's a valid point since only a small minority of Android users know about xda and the fact that you can flash ROMs. Every iPhone user in the world will know about OTA updates.
Sorry but there's no apple fanboy like Joshua Toposlky, he is the only one in the world (sarcasm =P) that can see the bright side of both sides of the war.
Archer said:
I don't think that's a valid point since only a small minority of Android users know about xda and the fact that you can flash ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why i did say that for a smartphone user, every android version will sufice.
Archer said:
Every iPhone user in the world will know about OTA updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is almost not noticeable in the android environment because of the OEM's, not google's fault
[EDIT] OMFG! Now this is stupid, this is SO STUPID! Check this out, he makes a table of the new features that the new iOS can do, an compares it to other OS's... so lets start:
Location Based Reminders: Only iOS
Quick Camera Acess: iOS and WP7
Advanced Photo Editing tools: Only iOS
Advanced Voice Commands: Only iOS
My answer to this is: I am not going to open another URL coming from PCmag
The way Android works is that Google do not have that much control over it after the OS is designed, it gets open-sourced then it is down to each individual OEM to build a rom and get their carrier partners to approve it.
Google have deliberately chosen to not do it the more formal way as it will defeat the entire original purpose that android had.
Obviously there is more complicated steps in the process when it comes to the licencing of Gapps....
However google and the other major partners have expressed their wish to reduce fragmentation and move to ICS as soon as possible, but that article was right in that we have not been given any strict words. However any phone currently running android 2.3 and is still getting worked on (i.e. not EOL) should receive an ICS update. I know that samsung are working on very quick timetables and the SGS2 rom should be out very quickly, but based on the past experience companies like HTC may take a very long time.
in WP7 Microsoft give a rom to the OEMS to do very minor tweaks, this is then approved and released.
I think what people are missing
Here guys is the fact that android os is the only open source os out of three three majors!
This means that u don't really need the oems to have latest up to date os version. As we can c clearly in the case of cynogenmod project. Moreover, the android build it's reputation on being the most comprehensive os with most capabilities to consume the most of the hardware. This is a big plus for everybody.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Ray1 said:
in my country, malaysia, the sgs2 is still at 2.3.3. which is another reason to forget about the ICS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have just read this now, and i must say WTF? what you mean? you want 2.3.7? You have officially the latest released Android version, and you call it "still"?
svceon said:
I have just read this now, and i must say WTF? what you mean? you want 2.3.7? You have officially the latest released Android version, and you call it "still"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry i offended you. Please dont get upset.
but the upgrading firmware or version is very frustrating.
i saw in youtube and other tech website that the latest gingerbread is 2.3.5,
2.3.4 suppose to have the video call in google talk
2.3.5 suppose to have better battery life.
(i hope i'm not mistaken)
dont you feel its sad? i spend a big BIG sum of money to buy this phone (RM2099), and naturally i expect it will have good support. OTA updates should be ideal, KIES is acceptable as well, but 2.3.5 is no where to be seen even on KIES.
Ray1 said:
I'm sorry i offended you. Please dont get upset.
but the upgrading firmware or version is very frustrating.
i saw in youtube and other tech website that the latest gingerbread is 2.3.5,
2.3.4 suppose to have the video call in google talk
2.3.5 suppose to have better battery life.
(i hope i'm not mistaken)
dont you feel its sad? i spend a big BIG sum of money to buy this phone (RM2099), and naturally i expect it will have good support. OTA updates should be ideal, KIES is acceptable as well, but 2.3.5 is no where to be seen even on KIES.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ray1, i'm not upset, don't get me wrong =P i just thought you were saying that you wanted ICS now, and that you were frustraded that you didn't had. i'm only upset by PCMAG by it's acumulated stupidity.
As for the updates, there are a lot of 2.3.4/5 roms in the SGSII development sub-forum, why dont you try to flash one?
Another thing about firmware and OEM's updates:
When i buy a car, i dont expect it to be upgraded when the next generation of engines are released. When i buy a car i bought it because i needed it or i wanted it as it was being sold.
If you want the latest hardware in your phones, then don't expect to have the latest software.
linkin85 said:
If you want the latest hardware in your phones, then don't expect to have the latest software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This doesn't make a lot of sense
Ray1 said:
I'm sorry i offended you. Please dont get upset.
but the upgrading firmware or version is very frustrating.
i saw in youtube and other tech website that the latest gingerbread is 2.3.5,
2.3.4 suppose to have the video call in google talk
2.3.5 suppose to have better battery life.
(i hope i'm not mistaken)
dont you feel its sad? i spend a big BIG sum of money to buy this phone (RM2099), and naturally i expect it will have good support. OTA updates should be ideal, KIES is acceptable as well, but 2.3.5 is no where to be seen even on KIES.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no Google talk video call in 2.3.4 nor 2.3.5..
the fact that the author wrote "Google needs to look to Microsoft as an example of how to get updates right" made him lose any ounce of credibility that he had (if he had any to begin with.)
they released WP 7 without half of the proven needs on a smartphone (eg. cut and paste), released an "update" which was basically a primer for your phone to be able to OTA update when the new "patch" was released. and it didn't even adress the issues that had people *****ing about the phone. Mango was promised to be released last year, and it's already october 2011. I got rid of my windows phone within 3 months of buying on.
so what if apple releases iOS 5 to all iphone users? half of them probably doesn't even know what's on the new OS. the other half are still marvelling over siri as some technological breakthrough. it has got to be the most boring OS i've seen. everyone holding an iOS phone/tablet/ipod looks the same as the other person holding it. oh great, you can change the wallpaper...whoopdiedoo...and buy a 200 dollar case for it! wowie.
i was a loyal windows mobile user for many many years, having used them since O2 still manufactured awesome products. I loved it for how much I could customize it to suit how I'd like it to be. I'm not paying 1000 bucks and have the company tell me how I should want it to look. I'm sorry, but a homescreen with 16 icons on it just doesn't look appealing to me. I have been blown away by what the android OS can do.
how ICS release can be bad for android users baffles me. I bet the author was wetting himself when apple launched the white iphone.
This ''issue'' can be avoided by installing CM7. This way your phone is like a nexus and has the latest updates.
Umm this isn't really google's fault by any means; whether or not ICS comes to our devices is up to the manufacturers, and it's is up to us as consumers to let them know that we don't want a customized UI, but standard android instead.
Vote with your wallets and send manufacturers complaint letters and you shall have what you wish for. Just look at the locked boot loaders issue as an example of what can be done when enough people complain and commit to a cause.
1) don't rely on Official Roms all the time, plenty of leaks for 2.3.4 and 2.3.5 have surfaced
2) Just because you are not yet on 2.3.4 doesn't mean you won't get ICS, you don't have to go up every single OS step in order...
Again Android liberty. You can pick the OEM. If you want the fastest update buy a nexus. Slower OEMs will sell lesser product in the future. And I didn't get the idea of the article. Is limiting the OSs with resolution and chips a good thing? If so what are we doing here?
Sent from my GT-I9100

I just received a new tablet

Hellot there i just received a new tablet for christmas abd i wanted to learn some new things.
First oglf all i have to admit it that i am new to this android scene. I am a fan of apple but wheb it comes to tablets i guess abdroid has an advantage. whatever this is not the purpose of my message.
What i wabted to know is this: I received an Le Pan tc 970 but i saw they got the new Le Pan 2ut with the honeycomb support . My question is: is it worth rerurning this current tablet to buy the new one just because it has a new firmware on it? Or the hobeycomb isnt that much of a deal abd I should keep this one? Any advantages to buy the ther one in comparasion to this ine except it is new? Does it have much more feature than 2.2?
If not I know abdroid is the world of customizations... but i dont seem to get it. Do i need to root my system in order to makee tose customizatiobs available? I didnt ser that much themes for this tablet... also it doesbt even have its own section... Is it because the tablet isnt that popular?
Finally could i have some few threads to get me started? I kniw pretty much abiut apple... but Andriid is completly new to me!
Thanks! And sorry for all of the mistakes... The keyboard makes my mind go nuts... it is too big!
Honeycomb (Android 3.0) is newer version than froyo (2.2).
If you can get one with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) then it is worth returning it
and get a new one.
Most of the tablets are running Froyo or Gingerbread (Android 2.3) .
Honeycomb is closed source, google has not released its software to public.
All other versions as of now are open source AOSP (Android Open Source Platform)
ask them whether it can be upgraded to ICS (4.0)
Well honeycomb is kinda better for tablets since it has a tablet ui but now since they released ics you should check if your tablet is getting the ics update which has a bunch of new features and if it doesn't i think you should get one with the new os.
Right! Look for ics update. It is much better
I don'T think there are many tables with ICS...? Am I wrong? And what about a starter guide?

Samsung confirms Ice Cream Sandwich in Galaxy S II on March 10

Samsung itself has confirmed that the update of the Galaxy S II for Android 4.0 to devices already come on March 10. That's right, tomorrow you will have a new Android on your phone, here in Brazil.
Previously the company had given the March 15 release date for the update, but now the date got closer, news that lets users very happy. According to Samsung, simply tap the icon to update the operating system to take you to the Android Ice Cream Sandiwch
According to a statement released by the company, will release the screen with facial recognition, Android Beam and improvements in the way of counting the cellular data used per month. The problem is that the Flash plug-in support for Bluetooth 3.0 and will not be recognized by the device. Strange, no? Problem of losing office for operating system support is nothing nice.
The update will be delivered to all devices unlocked and the entire planet, nothing was said about the customizations that some operators do with their gadgets. That is, if you bought the phone in a shop operator, may take some time to get ICS in your hands.
jeiih said:
Samsung itself has confirmed that the update of the Galaxy S II for Android 4.0 to devices already come on March 10. That's right, tomorrow you will have a new Android on your phone, here in Brazil.
Previously the company had given the March 15 release date for the update, but now the date got closer, news that lets users very happy. According to Samsung, simply tap the icon to update the operating system to take you to the Android Ice Cream Sandiwch
According to a statement released by the company, will release the screen with facial recognition, Android Beam and improvements in the way of counting the cellular data used per month. The problem is that the Flash plug-in support for Bluetooth 3.0 and will not be recognized by the device. Strange, no? Problem of losing office for operating system support is nothing nice.
The update will be delivered to all devices unlocked and the entire planet, nothing was said about the customizations that some operators do with their gadgets. That is, if you bought the phone in a shop operator, may take some time to get ICS in your hands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just throwing out there not U.S. gs2s but of course the ones sammy made directly without carrier stuff.
its a myth , i guess
Not True
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