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The lagging updates has nothing to do with users, it's a corollary of Google having strategically chosen to build a fragmented ecosystem, whereas Apple built th

The lagging updates has nothing to do with users, it's a corollary of Google having strategically chosen to build a fragmented ecosystem, whereas Apple built their walled off garden. Apple can incentivise updates much better because they control the whole ecosystem. To achieve this, Google would need to somehow _force_ OEMs to update Android, but the fragmentation makes this a herculean task.

jmfayard 7y ago
It's not Apple vs Google. Google has a second operating system, Chrome OS, and that team does a very nice job at keeping all the Chromebook up-to-date. It's one of those old early Android mistakes that were never really fixed. I think the root issue is that they were never even fully acknowledged. I wrote about this here: https://dev.to/jmfayard/android-s-billion-dollar-mistake-327b https://dev.to/jmfayard/android-s-billion-dollar-mistake-327...
murgindrag 7y ago
As opposed to computers running Windows? or Ubuntu? More fragmented than Android. Continuous updates even for hardware from the year 2000 (a few paid along the way).
- AdrianB1 7y ago
  Actually Windows and Ubuntu are not a good example because the end user can easily perform updates without the computer manufacturer having anything to say. I would upgrade my mom's Android 8 phone, but I cannot. It is not the fragmentation, it's who's in control of the updates.
  - cookiecaper 7y ago
    Heh, after years of prodding, my mom finally gave up her Android 4.4 phone last month. Instagram stopped allowing her to sign in from it. It was replaced by a Pixel 3, which no longer allows her to easily set up her third-party ringtone app among a plethora of other annoyances and disappointments. "This is why I never want to get new phones or computers" was muttered probably about 15 times in the two hours I was helping her salvage content from the older device.

jmfayard 7y ago

It's not Apple vs Google. Google has a second operating system, Chrome OS, and that team does a very nice job at keeping all the Chromebook up-to-date. It's one of those old early Android mistakes that were never really fixed. I think the root issue is that they were never even fully acknowledged. I wrote about this here: https://dev.to/jmfayard/android-s-billion-dollar-mistake-327b https://dev.to/jmfayard/android-s-billion-dollar-mistake-327...

murgindrag 7y ago

As opposed to computers running Windows? or Ubuntu? More fragmented than Android. Continuous updates even for hardware from the year 2000 (a few paid along the way).

AdrianB1 7y ago
Actually Windows and Ubuntu are not a good example because the end user can easily perform updates without the computer manufacturer having anything to say. I would upgrade my mom's Android 8 phone, but I cannot. It is not the fragmentation, it's who's in control of the updates.
- cookiecaper 7y ago
  Heh, after years of prodding, my mom finally gave up her Android 4.4 phone last month. Instagram stopped allowing her to sign in from it. It was replaced by a Pixel 3, which no longer allows her to easily set up her third-party ringtone app among a plethora of other annoyances and disappointments. "This is why I never want to get new phones or computers" was muttered probably about 15 times in the two hours I was helping her salvage content from the older device.