Weekly poll: How long should phones get OS updates?
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- Anonymous
- qJ}
- 04 Feb 2018
these arguments are stupid.
my win 10pc is 10y old in a few month and according to you its terrible.
its faster than my galaxy s 7 and runs many games in medium gfx. i just played subnautica.
plus the win 10 updates ARE free once you paid win10 once. there is no win 11. theyre also more frequent than most phone vendors...
finally the key difference is that pc hw has been standardized. phone hardware much less, for this exact reason. they want obsolescence. otherwise we'd all run lineageos 15.
- Y
- YalokIy
- n}%
- 04 Feb 2018
Akorn Farmer, 04 Feb 2018The guaranteed OS upgrade/security patch period should vary... moreMostly agree, but still think that smartphones below $150 should get at least 2 years of security patches.
- A
- Akorn Farmer
- tfS
- 04 Feb 2018
The guaranteed OS upgrade/security patch period should vary depending on phone sale price range. Expensive premium phone should be supported longer, as long as 4~5 years. Cheaper phone may have shorter support period.
Expected support period by phone price range:
Premium phones above $700 (iPhone, Galaxy S/Note) - 4 years OS update, 5 years security patch.
2nd class phone above $500 - 3 years update, 5 years security patch
Mid range phone above $250 - 2 years update, 3 years security patch
Budget phone above $150 - 1 year update, 2 years security patch
Low price phone below $150 - no update or patch.
- i
- ithehappy
- g3a
- 04 Feb 2018
Everyone's opinion will be different but for me 3 years should be enough.
- S
- Surficial
- 8mp
- 04 Feb 2018
AnonD-517906, 04 Feb 2018IMO, Today's smartphones is getting capable in terms of pro... moreThe software in phones isn't like in PCs, its usually tailored to the device. More difficult to get right and bug free.
Windows etcetera are one size fits all style software.
- S
- Surficial
- 8mp
- 04 Feb 2018
High end should get the newest version available at 2.5 years after release, no matter when the actual update comes. 3.5 years of security updates.
Mid range 1.5 years and 2.5 security.
- D
- AnonD-517906
- thw
- 04 Feb 2018
IMO, Today's smartphones is getting capable in terms of processing power, So it should be safe to say that these smartphones could receive major software updates up to 6 years and security updates up to 10 years.
- ?
- Anonymous
- AJr
- 04 Feb 2018
Not sure why anyone cares about version upgrades. This is more of a concern for Google and its desire to limit fragmentation of Android as a development platform.
Users should care about security updates, and in fact they should be mandatory, because there is a cost to the whole society of people being exposed to malware, and loss of personal data.
Modern hardware is perfectly capable of being used for four years or more, so four years of security patches would be a sensible legal minimum.
- L
- Limelightlemons
- 4Hx
- 04 Feb 2018
I was so happy when Google announced the pixel 2 xl that it gets 3 years of OS and security updates. Og pixel I held off on because of only 2 years of OS and 3 of security. I felt content on spending a G on a phone because of good support. Very happy with my pixel 2 xl. I miss iPhone but I'm not going back.
- ?
- Anonymous
- pdH
- 04 Feb 2018
AnonD-696151, 04 Feb 2018I buy a phone every 2 yearsAnd I buy new phone every 6-10 years...
So 6 years minimum! 10 years would be better...
My PC is ten years old and still gets upgrades. New phones cost allmost as much and computers, so why would They have any shorter lifespan?
- D
- AnonD-234961
- 0Cc
- 04 Feb 2018
As long as a regular laptop !
- DonAlduck
- m5R
- 04 Feb 2018
AnonD-510098, 04 Feb 2018Phones under £100 should expect = Nothing Phones und... moreWas just about to write this, 100% accurate! 3 years worth of upgrades for a flagship is the bare minimum.
- D
- Deyan
- 0B7
- 04 Feb 2018
Same period as the warranty. You give 2 years warranty, you should provide 2 years of updates.
- A
- Anm
- sr$
- 04 Feb 2018
Today high-end phones have good specs that they can support major software updates for 10+ years. It's shame how that today you buy phone with good spec but it only gets supported for max 2 or 3 years of major updates and they are so late that next major software is already available to another phone.
- D
- AnonD-510098
- mx{
- 04 Feb 2018
Phones under £100 should expect = Nothing
Phones under £200 should expect = 1 major android update
Phones under £300 should expect = 1 major android update and security updates for 1 year
Phones under £400 should expect = 2 major android updates and security updates for 2 years
Phones under £500 should expect = 2 major android updates and security updates for 3 years
Phones between £500 and £1,000 = 3 years of android updates and security updates for 4 years
- n
- nik.007
- gN@
- 04 Feb 2018
Updates should be according to hardware first, not based on the age of the model (that should be secondary). For instance, a Moto G Turbo Edition (2015, SD615) was upgraded to just Marshmallow, but Moto G4 Play (2016, SD410) was upgraded to Nougat, just bacause it was the newer model, and despite the Turbo having a better processor.
If hardware supports, update should be provided irrespective of age of the phone.
- D
- AnonD-558092
- r7b
- 04 Feb 2018
AnonD-462421, 04 Feb 2018This I agree with 100%. I voted for the two years but THIS ... moreWell I think that if you like a phone, and it fits all your needs, you should be able to keep using it without being discriminated on the software side. I could honestly keep using a Note 4 for years to come if it wasn't stuck on 6.0.1 and unpatched
- A
- Alien
- 3RM
- 04 Feb 2018
I think 3-4 years, if the phone is an upper mid-range or a flagship. The technology behind our smartphones is quite good and it sure can last longer with the right software. But, this is not something wanted by the brand manufacturers because there's no profit for them in this, quite the opposite. Longer updates > less new phones sold.
Then there's apple who did what everyone must know by now..
If you like tech and really want longer updates, there's always XDA Developers forum where you find everything you need to root your phone. It's a good workaround. The catch is you need to use your head :)
- ~
- ~yy
- MI3
- 04 Feb 2018
2-3 years OEM and strong support devs. Enable unlocking, release sources. 4 year flagship is crap, better way is to change for a brand new mid ranger.
- D
- AnonD-462421
- kT}
- 04 Feb 2018
Zenodroid, 04 Feb 2018Till the next big version change. And then again at next bi... moreThis I agree with 100%. I voted for the two years but THIS is what I was thinking. In the general sense i don't think many people keep their phones for too much longer than 2 years. sure it's becoming more possible with mid-range phones being so much better than they were a few years ago but in general I think phones are still something people go through more often. Until i can see the stats on "overall average phone ownership" I will maintain 2 years is about it. (although two major updates is 100% better!)