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Is this surprising to anyone? My present phone is a Motorola G5 Plus, low-mid range model released in early 2017 which I bought new at the time unlocked for un
by retrac 5y ago
Is this surprising to anyone? My present phone is a Motorola G5 Plus, low-mid range model released in early 2017 which I bought new at the time unlocked for under $200 USD. Motorola stopped updating it with Android 8.1, but it runs the latest version of LineageOS based on Android 11 just fine.
One of my tablets is an Amazon device which stopped getting updates to Amazon's proprietary Android 5-based OS. But it runs Android 10-derived LineageOS just fine. A relative was just going to throw it out because the software was out of date. The amount of e-waste produced due to this practice must be scandalous.
Purely in terms of specs and performance, most devices since about 2017 can run the latest software. Manufacturers rarely support the device for more than a year or two, though. This pattern of behaviour goes all the way back to the very first Android device. The HTC Dream was dropped after Android 1.6 but it can run later versions.
- jrib 5y agoI ordered a new phone to replace my pixel 1 from 2016 this past week. It was running fine with LineageOS but AT&T is forcing it off their network :/
- celsoazevedo 5y agoI've read a few comments over at r/lineageos saying that phones still work. They're sending the message to anyone without a phone "approved" by them.
- aaronbrethorst 5y agoApple's still supporting devices released in September 2015.
- p_l 5y agoApple also fully controls all the stack, unlike all of the other vendors.
- aaronbrethorst 5y agoWeird, I thought Google made the OS and was responsible for the hardware in the article we were talking about...
- nr2x 5y ago...and with Tensor they have the chip as well.
- gruez 5y agoApple made their own SoCs. Google didn't. The pixel 3 used qualcomm snapdragon.
- ghostpepper 5y agoThis was Google's decision, though, right? They're a trillion dollar company after all, and they've even released chips before (TPU)
- Navarr 5y agoIt was, and it is something they've shown they're working on. 6 and the coming 7 (believed) are running on white-labeled Samsung chips
- phh 5y agoDid you read FTA's title...?
- sorenjan 5y agoPixel 6 is a flagship phone from Google, it uses Google's own Tensor SoC, and runs Google's own Android OS. It was released in October 2021, and is guaranteed Android version updates until October 2024. Security updates until October 2026. Three years of updates of Google's own software on their own hardware is ridiculous and inexcusable. It also shows that it was never about who made the SoC. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705#zippy=%2Cpixel-pixel-pro-phones https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705#zippy=%...
- pjmlp 5y agoThis behaviour goes back since mobile phones exist, back in the Series 30 days, there was the possibility to update the firmaware using the developer SDK (if at all) and even then there would be one update, tops.
- easrng 5y agoI have the same phone and I just use the stock OS and it works pretty well. I've swapped out the launcher, removed a ton of apps with adb (including almost all the Google ones), made the animations go at 2x speed and I'm pretty happy with how it's working. What did you upgrade for and does the Lineage build you're on have the Moto features from the stock ROM? (FM radio, gesture navigation with the fingerprint sensor, chop for flashlight, etc.)
- retrac 5y agoNo particular reason, I just prefer to run the same OS on each of my devices. The FM radio, cameras, accelerometers, GPS/GLONASS, etc. works, never tried the fingerprint sensor or gestures.
- easrng 5y agoThe fingerprint sensor navigation thing is really nice, if you have the Moto Actions app it's called One Button Nav. You tap the fingerprint sensor to go home, swipe left to right to open the app switcher thing, and swipe right to left to go back. It's honestly my favorite thing about this phone.
- chasil 5y agoI believe that "right to repair" for Android means that we should compel OEMs to unlock bootloaders of any devices that have exited support. As Google faces antitrust action in many jurisdictions, I hope one of them grants us full control over the devices that we have purchased, especially when they are abandoned or otherwise the victims of neglect.
- gst 5y agoThe bootloaders of the devices that Google sells in its own store are already unlocked. The only exception are Google phones that are bought from some mobile carriers such as Verizon.
- jaywalk 5y agoThe bootloaders aren't unlocked, they're just not carrier locked. Big difference.
- chasil 5y agoLast I knew, Verizon insisted on locked Pixel bootloaders. Assuming this remains the case, do not buy Pixels from Verizon.
- chasil 5y agoYes, and I have unlocked my 3a and wiped prior to Lineage. I have several Android devices where this is not possible, and bringing this requirement to the rest of the Android ecosystem is our "right to repair."
- p1mrx 5y agoVerizon is not the only exception. I purchased a Pixel 2 directly from Google, which I replaced under warranty due to a defective microphone. Years later, I tried to install LineageOS and hit the "Flashing Unlock is not allowed" error. It turns out that Google ships warranty-refurbished Pixel 2s with permanently locked bootloaders. No solution, no apology, no indication that it won't happen again: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22pixel+2%22+%22flashing+unlock+is+not+allowed%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22pixel+2%22+%22flashing+un...