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The Android update model is very different from the iOS model since many Android vendors only support their devices for a short time, often no more than 2-3 yea

The Android update model is very different from the iOS model since many Android vendors only support their devices for a short time, often no more than 2-3 years where Apple provides updates for a much longer period. This is offset by the fact that the core of Android is free software, on top of which you can - but do not have to - install Google-proprietary parts. I choose not to install those parts since I prefer to keep my data (mostly) to myself. When Apple says "that's all, folks" they mean it - the device will no longer get updates. When Samsung says "that's all folks" the user can install one of the alternative distributions and continue to use the device. I'm using a Galaxy SIII - using it right now in fact - with Android 9 more or less because I have not updated it to v10 (the current version of Android) yet. I might upgrade it, then again I might not, the thing works fine on v9. For reference, this phone was launched in 2012 (3 years before the iPhone 6s) with Android 4.0 and got official updates to 4.4. It then got updates through Cyanogenmod, later through LineageOS. It is still updated OTA (as in 'over the air', like when it was new). Once Android 11 comes around it'll probably be ported to the SIII, the limiting factor tends to be driver support. [1] https://www.xda-developers.com/developers-android-10-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-galaxy-note-3/ https://www.xda-developers.com/developers-android-10-samsung...

asutekku 6y ago
Vast majority of the users are not going to get the update through an unofficial channel by downloading a custom rom. The problem are the manufacturers, not that you can’t get updates at all.
mh8h 6y ago
When Samsung says "that's all folks" the user can install one of the alternative distributions and continue to use the device. The problem is that a tiny percentage of users actually do that. It leaves the rest vulnerable to any security issues that are found after the last update.
- Yetanfou 6y ago
  That is a matter of user education comparable - but not equal - to what is keeping 'the year or Linux on the desktop' always somewhere in the future. The difference is that LineageOS (et al) is more or less identical to (the better) vendor-supplied distributions while Linux is a different operating system, not just a different distribution. Once installed something like LineageOS is just as easy to keep up to date as vendor-supplied distributions.

asutekku 6y ago

Vast majority of the users are not going to get the update through an unofficial channel by downloading a custom rom. The problem are the manufacturers, not that you can’t get updates at all.

mh8h 6y ago

When Samsung says "that's all folks" the user can install one of the alternative distributions and continue to use the device. The problem is that a tiny percentage of users actually do that. It leaves the rest vulnerable to any security issues that are found after the last update.

Yetanfou 6y ago
That is a matter of user education comparable - but not equal - to what is keeping 'the year or Linux on the desktop' always somewhere in the future. The difference is that LineageOS (et al) is more or less identical to (the better) vendor-supplied distributions while Linux is a different operating system, not just a different distribution. Once installed something like LineageOS is just as easy to keep up to date as vendor-supplied distributions.