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Will my GalaxyS be future proof? technically?

The galaxyS has a 1g hummingbird CPU which should be fairly future proof for a couple of years, unless something is done about battery life I can't CPU speeds rocketing up, I'd love to see how they will handle dual core CPU's in smart phones.... That being said I could be proven wrong...
Question I have is why do we see so many phones stuck on older versions of android, what is it that prevents them from being ported to a newer version of android? hardware? bootloader? No one to produce the rom?
Its rumoured 2.2 would be the last update for GalaxyS which I find ludicrous to say the phones not even officially released yet in most of the world. What could possibly stop 3.0 from reaching phones released this year? If google are pushing the hardware requirements of these latest OS updates to a point a 1ghz CPU isn't enough then it’s a very dangerous move imo
Maybe I’m missing something here or phone manufactures are pure lazy and don’t give a **** about the end user...

Hardware-wise, you'd be fine for a bit. The reason mfrs don't push updated versions of Android to their phones is because they generally skin them - so some Motos have Blur, HTCs have Sense, etc. This takes time to port across, plus there's the standard testing of any new software version, drivers etc. Samsung, it's sad to say, are particularly bad for this.
The Galaxy S is gorgeous, and I'm trying to convince myself that the possible lack of updates is worth it. HTCs just get such better support from the community, though . . .

thats my worry too..... i want to get it but then im terrified of being left behind in OS updates. it would annoy me so much if it happened especially coming from an Iphone 3g which until recently has been fully supported and updated for the last 2 years........

I'd take a Galaxy S over my Moto Cliq that is stuck on 1.5 for the foreseeable future. HTC seems to be the only manufacturer that gives a *&(@ about updating.

Fuzi0719 said:
I'd take a Galaxy S over my Moto Cliq that is stuck on 1.5 for the foreseeable future. HTC seems to be the only manufacturer that gives a *&(@ about updating.
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not to derail, but is motorola very good with updates?

What Sprint phone do you recommend?

My 2yr upgrade is coming up in April. I'm looking to continue running with Android OS (sorry Apple, you'll have to wait a few more years to get my hard earned cash). I'm curious to know what phones are currently out which developers are highly supporting at the moment? Also, what phones is everyone anticipating to get in the months to come. I'm coming from an EVO 4G where deveopement was very high (currently running w/MIUI Swiper version) So, I'm hoping I can get a new phone with similiar Dev support. Curious what everyone's thoughts are on this. Thanks in advance!

Depends on your criteria.
I bought Photon 4G because of specs. The build quality is better than HTC and Samsung. It is also a world phone (GSM locked in US) and has a good display screen. The camera is also very decent. No big complains yet. I have it rooted and it worked absolutely great for me. However, I have noticed that Sprint is a smaller carrier than ATT and Verizon and so, dev support is similar across the board. Moto on Sprint probably has less dev support than Samsung Galaxy series, since it is popular and specs are similar across varients on other carriers -- making it easier to port/share development across different carriers.
End of the day, Samsung, HTC and Moto, all run Android and you can customize it whatever way you like and will look the same on all phones. Lots of choice, but it might be a simple hardware comparison that will help you choose one.
I have owned HTC, Samsung, Nokia and Moto in the past. I believe that Nokia and Moto has the best build quality and it shows.

[Q] Need a replacement for my girlfriends Blade.

Hi, I need a replacement for my girlfriends ZTE Blade's, she needs two phones. I have been looking for something similar in size, and the ONE S looks to fit the bill. It's not hugely bigger. Although a handset with a 3.7 screen would be ideal.
I have no desire to root the phone etc. I just need to give her something reliable and dependable. The specs of the ONE S would suit her fine. But I'm thinking there may be a caveat. Such as, HTC are as bad as LG when it comes to OS software updates. Or the battery life sucks big time. Or sense really slows everything down.
The iPhone would be perfect in terms of size, specs and performance. But we are an ANDROID family, so I would like to keep our investment in Tablets and software.
My sincere apologies for the hugely general question. My current handset a Galaxy NEXUS which was such an easy choice, I'm running official Jelly Bean. But, choosing for a petite lady, something that works and won't become outdated in 12 months is super hard.
She has a 10" Galaxy Tab which recently got ICS, and I want to keep the devices running comparable versions of the OS.
I would be very grateful for any insights, or other handset recommendation's. Many thanks. Anil
Addition: I thought I would point out after user Ollaz's response below, I plan on only buying an unlocked retail version of any handset.

Why not the HTC One S. The updates are also affected by the carrier as they need to be approved, but as HTC said a few months ago, that they will be focusing on the One series and will not release new phones all the time, which means that these devices will get updates. But of course, buying any new product has the problem of eventually getting old and it will be just cut off. The way it has to be.
Also, in the same range there appears to be the ASUS Padfone (which is one hell of a device, but I didn't buy it because god knows if or when ASUS will update their devices). The LG Optimus 4X kinda seems like a beast and is in the same price range.

Ollaz said:
Why not the HTC One S. The updates are also affected by the carrier as they need to be approved, but as HTC said a few months ago, that they will be focusing on the One series and will not release new phones all the time, which means that these devices will get updates. But of course, buying any new product has the problem of eventually getting old and it will be just cut off. The way it has to be.
Also, in the same range there appears to be the ASUS Padfone (which is one hell of a device, but I didn't buy it because god knows if or when ASUS will update their devices). The LG Optimus 4X kinda seems like a beast and is in the same price range.
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Hi Ollaz, thanks for the info on HTC devices. I plan on buying a retail version of any handset, not locked to any one carrier etc. I appreciate technology moves on and some devices get left behind. My recently retired Optimus 2X still only has an official Ginger Bread release, even though the hardware is more than capable of running ICS.
I have an ASUS Transformer and it received an ICS update early this year. So in my book ASUS are pretty good whereas software updates are concerned. If Google made a sub four inch handset I would buy that without hesitation. Beast hardware is only as good as the software. And LG have a terrible software update record.
Thanks. Have fun. Anil

First off, the Asus Transformer is a different case. Since it's a tablet, it doesn't have to go through the extra step of carrier testing that a phone does for an update.
My came from a 3.7" HTC Incredible and really wanted to stick with a smaller form factor she could use with one hand (typing being the biggest issue). She is very happy with the One S, she just had to get used to using two hands for typing, but its thinness made it an easier transition from the old phone.
FWIW, HTC has already promised Jelly Bean will be coming within a few months, and I wouldn't necessarily expect the Transformer to get it.

radar5 said:
First off, the Asus Transformer is a different case. Since it's a tablet, it doesn't have to go through the extra step of carrier testing that a phone does for an update.
My came from a 3.7" HTC Incredible and really wanted to stick with a smaller form factor she could use with one hand (typing being the biggest issue). She is very happy with the One S, she just had to get used to using two hands for typing, but its thinness made it an easier transition from the old phone.
FWIW, HTC has already promised Jelly Bean will be coming within a few months, and I wouldn't necessarily expect the Transformer to get it.
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Hi radar5, thanks for sharing your experiences. I have to disagree with the point regarding "carrier testing". I always buy stock retail devices, with no ball & chain 12-24-36 month contracts. My LG O2X came completely stock, there are no carrier hurdles for LG to jump. Yet their handset is two years behind the OS release curve. The worlds first dual-core phone, and it's still on Gingerbread. Nothing to do with carriers.
I would buy another ASUS product, they have provided 5 updates since I bought the Transformer Tablet. Two of those have been major OS updates. I wouldn't go near LG with a very long stick. HTC looks as if it is learning this lesson of keeping your hardware reasonably up to date with the latest OS.
Apple do an excellent job in this area, they're not perfect, but better than most ANDROID OEM's. Hopefully HTC is getting their **** together, and their simpler hardware line up is a sign of the future. Resulting in timely OS updates. And easier consumer hardware choices.
At the moment HTC's One S is my current choice for my girlfriends next handset. I did see something today which made me pause for thought. ACER's Liquid Glow, a truly terrible name, but it's a 3.7" handset running ICS. And the slated European price is €179.99. The One S in Italy cost's €485 from AMAZON. A big difference.
Thanks. Have fun. Anil

I see where you're headed with this, but keep in mind you can't comprare that ACER and the One S. The specs are way too off for that.

Ollaz said:
I see where you're headed with this, but keep in mind you can't comprare that ACER and the One S. The specs are way too off for that.
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Hi Ollaz, my girlfriends current handset's the ZTE Blade's are great, except they only run Gingerbread. Switching between Gingerbread and ICS does become a little annoying. Gmail is a great case in point. The ICS version is way better than the Gingerbread version.
So horsepower specs are not that important. And anyway, my retired Optimus 2X has great specs, but still only has old software. Some of the newer HTC phones have better specs than my Galaxy NEXUS. But my GNEX is running a stock version of Jelly Bean 4.1.1, now, today. Not some marketing quarter in the future which invariably gets moved.
I love having a fast phone, but my girlfriend needs stability and OS device parity. Thanks for your thoughts, they have been helpful in making me decide what I need to buy.
I must admit I was a little shocked when I discovered the price of the One S in Italy. HTC want iPhone 4s money, they are crazy! No wonder their sales revenue has dropped 60%. Selling purely on hardware specs has a really limited shelf life. Sooner or later you have to innovate in software. All HTC and most ANDROID OEM's do, is a few custom apps and skins. Google writes the OS for free!
Many thanks. Anil

[Q] Some basics I need covered :)

Hi,
So I'm new to Android, and I've only had a Nexus 7 for a week (I sold it) which I rooted and had some custom roms for.
I wanted the Xperia Z, but it's shape is too square and thus bulky. I like that this Razr HD is a bit water resistant, has excellent battery, the keflav back, and is a less cumbersome size.
But- i'm concerned as this device isn't one of the more popular. Does this mean i will have to wait much longer for upgrades even if rooted? And less support in future? could some apps not run/be designed for this device?
Basically- Im someone who keeps their phone for ages. Im still using a jailbroken 3GS happily. As much as i dont like apple- its good that i can always run the latest OS...
Just wanted thoughts on all this. Cheers

ycon said:
Hi,
So I'm new to Android, and I've only had a Nexus 7 for a week (I sold it) which I rooted and had some custom roms for.
I wanted the Xperia Z, but it's shape is too square and thus bulky. I like that this Razr HD is a bit water resistant, has excellent battery, the keflav back, and is a less cumbersome size.
But- i'm concerned as this device isn't one of the more popular. Does this mean i will have to wait much longer for upgrades even if rooted? And less support in future? could some apps not run/be designed for this device?
Basically- Im someone who keeps their phone for ages. Im still using a jailbroken 3GS happily. As much as i dont like apple- its good that i can always run the latest OS...
Just wanted thoughts on all this. Cheers
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Official upgrades for android devices are at the whim of the manufacturer and the carrier unless we're talking about a nexus device which gets updates directly from Google. On Verizon updates typically take longer to come out due to what they say is extensive testing, but recently they've been better about it imo. Unofficial updates are governed by the amount and quality of developers on that particular device. For moto phones we have a nice core of developers that keep us up to date. Now that the newest moto phones have had their bootloaders unlocked, development has really picked up. The development scene on Android is a lot different and more complicated then the Apple side. Due to the amount of high end android devices that are released every year the development scene moves pretty quickly. That isn't to say older devices aren't dev'd for but it is a possibility to consider. In the moto world devices as far back as the droid 3 are still actively supported. Many of us started out with moto and have never left.
Don't worry about the apps. Unless the device falls really behind in the os version all apps will be supported. It's not like apple where if your phone doesn't have the latest update a third of the apps don't work. There are apps coded specifically for features only available on the latest Android version but those are very few due to people wanting to make money lol.
sent from my xt926 RAZR maxx hd

Cheers for that really helpful response.
It all seems pretty good to me with app compatibility.
So- if I understand correctly, if I unlock the bootloader & root my phone, I wont have to rely on Moto/my carrier for the OS updates?
Are there any other general things I should know before saying no to more mainstream (GS4) device?
Cheers

ycon said:
Cheers for that really helpful response.
It all seems pretty good to me with app compatibility.
So- if I understand correctly, if I unlock the bootloader & root my phone, I wont have to rely on Moto/my carrier for the OS updates?
Are there any other general things I should know before saying no to more mainstream (GS4) device?
Cheers
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Click to collapse
Yes to your first question. Technically you would only need root to stop carrier updates but none of the new roms are being developed for locked devices.
Firstly know that the HD has basically the same innards as the gs3 except with 1gb less ram and a less impressive camera. The two monster phones out/coming out right now are the gs4 and the HTC one with a new nexus hopefully out soon. The gs4 represents some of the best hardware available (with newer still coming out later this year) and will have a lot of Dev focus. Out of those 3 phones Verizon will only be getting the gs4 most likely. In terms of what phone to get I would say you need to physically handle each before making a decision. If you must be on Verizon then the gs4 would be a great choice but some people don't like the build materials and feel of the phone (similar to gs3). People sticking with moto appreciate the solid feel, excellent materials, amazing radio strength, and battery life.
sent from my xt926 RAZR maxx hd

koftheworld;4080229The gs4 represents some of the best hardware available (with newer still coming out later this year) and will have a lot of Dev focus. Out of those 3 phones Verizon will only be getting the gs4 most likely. In terms of what phone to get I would say you need to physically handle each before making a decision. If you must be on Verizon then the gs4 would be a great choice but some people don't like the build materials and feel of the phone (similar to gs3). People sticking with moto appreciate the solid feel said:
Cheers for that. I am not on Verizon (I'm in Australia), I'll buy the phone unlocked.
I have had a look at the GS4, HTC One and Razr all together.
The GS4 is my favourite in terms of size, but I'd rather sacrifice the power (Quad core) for the longer battery, better call reception, stronger build, and lower price of the Razr HD.
I might jsut have to wait for the new Nexus phone to come out. I've heard Google will be subsidizing it, so the price might be right.
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Advice PLZ: NEXUS 5x or MOTO X Pure or OTHER?

Hello XDA,
I am looking for a bit of advice as I will be buying a new smartphone as soon as I can figure out what to get. I was quite interested in the Nexus 5x, however it seems to have a number of shortcomings(No SD...Kind of important to me!). I am currently debating between the 5x and the MOTO X PURE. I've never been a spec junkie, rather I have been concerned with UX. I am curious if the 2G LPDDR3 and SD801 of the N5x will hold up against the current LPDDR3 3G & LPDDR4 4G found in current "Flagships".Many here may hate me off the bat for saying this; but up until the iPhone 4 I was a faithful customer. I appreciate a well made and integrated package. That is something many Android devices lack IMO. However after my i4 I switched to android as needing to jailbreak was a PITA and I have,for the most part, loved it! Furthermore; I wish there were still WebOS options! Too bad it crashed and burned! I've never understood "Fan Boys".
At any rate I need a new phone. Currently I'm using a POS HTC Desire 510 w/ Raptor ROM as it will not function w/ the desensed dragonROM anymore(I HATE SENSE!!!). I am looking for a device that will last me 2 years with the latest android release. I'd like something snappy and likely to be supported by future ROMs(Love CM). My budget is around $400 and I am inclined to go with the 5x, however I have seen many better offerings available at the same price or less(OnePlus 2).
I generally like to use CM(as mentioned above) and a few XPOSED Modules. I generally use my Phone for: Web Browsing, Audio, YouTube, Camera, Reading and of course Phone Calls. I also use some Network Utilities, but that's about it.
The N5x's 2Gb of RAM and lack of SD Card scares me(I will only get the 16GB ver.) as does the Moto's non-existent MM ROMs. I am looking for something that will last for the next 2 years with current ROMs available. My other concern is security. There is a plethora of malware for Android and at the very least I'd like a device that can stay up to date. ANY ADVICE XDA?

We already have a thread for such discussion.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Thread closed