4 ms·

Apple is probably accused most of doing this through software. I would be surprised to see Apple keep old devices fast and secure.

masklinn 8y ago
The 5S is getting iOS12, and according to people running the beta it runs better on iOS12 than 11. The phone was released in September 2013. How many Android devices from 2013 are getting Pie, and running well under it? I'm guessing it's about "none whatsoever": Google can't be arsed to support its own device for more than 3 years (the 2 years old Pixel is the oldest Google-branded device getting Pie), and other manufacturers are way worse.
- lathiat 8y ago
  I’d start with how many android devices from 2017 and go from there.
- overeater 8y ago
  This is cherry picking the most long-lasting supported iPhone and comparing it against the least supported Android phone. Google has guaranteed a minimum of 3 years support now. Plenty of iPhones had only 3 years of support, and same with Android phones. At least do an apples to apples comparison (pun intended).
  - Jtsummers 8y ago
    > Plenty of iPhones had only 3 years of support, and same with Android phones. At least do an apples to apples comparison (pun intended). That's a bold claim. Only two models were end-of-lifed after less than 3 years. One more after less than 4 (3y, 11m). The rest had at least 4 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone According to this, from the 3GS to the 5C, most had 4 years (or very close) of support. Two models approached 5 years (4y, 10m and 4y, 11m). Everything from the 5S forward is still supported, and the 5S has 4 years and 11 months of support now. If you failed math, you might include the iPhone X in your numbers and its 10 months of support would bring the average down. However, that's 10 months of support so far, it's not end-of-lifed yet. The 5C is an outlier amongst the earlier models, but it makes sense. It was the same hardware as 5 but a different case, and released a year later. So the 1 less year of support is reasonable (if it were supported another year, the 5 would have been as well). For grins: The first 7 iPhone models had an average support period of 47 months. If you include the next 7 models (all still supported) it brings the average down to just shy of 39 months. If you consider that each of those 7 will get another 12 months of support from today, minimum: This time next year (excluding this year's models) they will have received almost 45 months of support, on average.
- yazr 8y ago
  I have a Samsung Tab 3 thingy. Apparently I got this back in 2013 !!! I still use it for videos at the gym, and as a ebook reader at home. The battery is fine. The screen is still great. They force download some upgrade every year. Last year i relented and stuck a $20 memory card in it. Granted - this is a top tier device from a top tier manufacturer..
  - __sr__ 8y ago
    What version of Android is it running? You probably mean the apps from the Play Store keep getting upgrades. I know for a fact that Samsung tablets from 2013 are not getting new Android updates — haven’t got them in a long time. I know this because I have one in my family. IIRC, the last time it was upgraded was back in 2015 (or maybe 2014, not sure).
raydev 8y ago
iOS 10 and 11 were definitely guilty of making older devices slower, but Apple effectively admitted that was a mistake since one of iOS 12's big selling points is that it improves performance for older devices. iOS 12 supports all the same devices as iOS 11, nothing was left behind.

masklinn 8y ago

The 5S is getting iOS12, and according to people running the beta it runs better on iOS12 than 11. The phone was released in September 2013. How many Android devices from 2013 are getting Pie, and running well under it? I'm guessing it's about "none whatsoever": Google can't be arsed to support its own device for more than 3 years (the 2 years old Pixel is the oldest Google-branded device getting Pie), and other manufacturers are way worse.

lathiat 8y ago
I’d start with how many android devices from 2017 and go from there.
overeater 8y ago
This is cherry picking the most long-lasting supported iPhone and comparing it against the least supported Android phone. Google has guaranteed a minimum of 3 years support now. Plenty of iPhones had only 3 years of support, and same with Android phones. At least do an apples to apples comparison (pun intended).
- Jtsummers 8y ago
  > Plenty of iPhones had only 3 years of support, and same with Android phones. At least do an apples to apples comparison (pun intended). That's a bold claim. Only two models were end-of-lifed after less than 3 years. One more after less than 4 (3y, 11m). The rest had at least 4 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone According to this, from the 3GS to the 5C, most had 4 years (or very close) of support. Two models approached 5 years (4y, 10m and 4y, 11m). Everything from the 5S forward is still supported, and the 5S has 4 years and 11 months of support now. If you failed math, you might include the iPhone X in your numbers and its 10 months of support would bring the average down. However, that's 10 months of support so far, it's not end-of-lifed yet. The 5C is an outlier amongst the earlier models, but it makes sense. It was the same hardware as 5 but a different case, and released a year later. So the 1 less year of support is reasonable (if it were supported another year, the 5 would have been as well). For grins: The first 7 iPhone models had an average support period of 47 months. If you include the next 7 models (all still supported) it brings the average down to just shy of 39 months. If you consider that each of those 7 will get another 12 months of support from today, minimum: This time next year (excluding this year's models) they will have received almost 45 months of support, on average.
yazr 8y ago
I have a Samsung Tab 3 thingy. Apparently I got this back in 2013 !!! I still use it for videos at the gym, and as a ebook reader at home. The battery is fine. The screen is still great. They force download some upgrade every year. Last year i relented and stuck a $20 memory card in it. Granted - this is a top tier device from a top tier manufacturer..
- __sr__ 8y ago
  What version of Android is it running? You probably mean the apps from the Play Store keep getting upgrades. I know for a fact that Samsung tablets from 2013 are not getting new Android updates — haven’t got them in a long time. I know this because I have one in my family. IIRC, the last time it was upgraded was back in 2015 (or maybe 2014, not sure).

raydev 8y ago

iOS 10 and 11 were definitely guilty of making older devices slower, but Apple effectively admitted that was a mistake since one of iOS 12's big selling points is that it improves performance for older devices. iOS 12 supports all the same devices as iOS 11, nothing was left behind.