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Are OS updates really that important for most consumers? I have a Desire running Froyo. I don't think I've really missed out on a huge amount by not getting Gi

Are OS updates really that important for most consumers? I have a Desire running Froyo. I don't think I've really missed out on a huge amount by not getting Gingerbread.

btn 15y ago
OS updates are probably more important for developers initially---having access to the latest and greatest API/phone features/bugfixes. This becomes important for consumers when the apps they want to use require a version of the OS they can't get.
degusta 15y ago
I agree they're maybe not essential to a lot of consumers. Lord knows most people never thought about whether their dumbphone's OS was outdated or not, but I do think it's less than ideal for the ecosystem in the long term.
davidedicillo 15y ago
While it may not be directly important to the final users (if you don't count security upgrades between versions), it definitely impact the ecosystem. If you need to pick a platform to develop for, you go for the more homogeneous one from a OS point of view. Also enterprises invest more in devices that have a longer support life. They want to buy something that even in 2-3 years is fully supported by the manufacture.
- vetinari 15y ago
  Enterprises don't care about device support life. They care, if the phone will survive for about two years. Then the employees will start bug you, that they want new gadget (I know, we have several hundred of them...).
nodata 15y ago
Are security updates important for most consumers? Hell yes. Whether they know it or not.
funkah 15y ago
They are to me. I like that something I bought a while ago continues to improve and add features. Toasters don't do that.
fluidcruft 15y ago
The Eclair/Froyo barrier is quite significant. No JIT, no App2Sd, no flash, no animated gif, abandoned Gmail app ... etc.
saturdaysaint 15y ago
Hard to say objectively, but I believe that actively updated software enhances perceived value. The human mind, even the non-technical one, is deeply attentive to change - as website iterations show, subtle improvements can have huge payoffs and even feed into the mind's reward circuitry. Every time there's a round of iPhone updates, I run into more than a few "normal" people that are delighted by tiny new features (anything from background wallpaper to iMessage read receipts). To people that don't usually keep their software up to date (but are coaxed into it by iTunes and now iCloud), getting new abilities without cost or effort is especially cool/rewarding.
ceejayoz 15y ago
"I heard about this really cool new game, but it won't work on my three month old phone" really doesn't endear devices to the masses.
- airlineuser 15y ago
  But that doesn't happen, because it's easy for game developers to support FroYo+ devices with the same APK. Example: The latest hot Android game is "Wind-up Knight". It supports Android 2.2 and up. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.robotinvader.knightmare https://market.android.com/details?id=com.robotinvader.knigh...
  - ceejayoz 15y ago
    As long as you don't need new APIs or features in a particular version of Android, sure.
    - airlineuser 15y ago
      Do you have any specific APIs or features in mind? I think most app devs look at the installed base numbers and choose to support 2.1+ or 2.2+. I can't think of any APIs in 2.3 or 3.0 (or even 4.0) that are so wonderful that they are worth cutting off such a large part of the potential customer base.
      - jameshart 15y ago
        So in that case, what about customers who DO buy new devices? Your argument suggests that developers won't build software to target the new capabilities their devices have. In which case the manufacturers' refusal to keep their old devices up to date is actually undermining their ability to sell new hardware ("Why should I buy a new android phone; all the software is written to target my existing two year old model")
        cpeterso 15y ago
        Developers can write apps that are backwards compatible, yet still support new OS or hardware features when available. Also, some developers will write dedicated apps that make full use of new OS or hardware features (like fancy camera apps).
jsvaughan 15y ago
You've missed out on better battery life, definitely. I have a Desire running 7.1 Cyanogenmod, which is 2.3 and it has massively improved it.
rayiner 15y ago
In terms of perceived value? Definitely. See all the flack Apple received for not supporting Siri on the iPhone 4. Now imagine if they hadn't released iOS 4 and multitasking on the 3GS.
gte910h 15y ago
Software is written to an OS, and can't be run by prior OSes. So you'll miss out on some apps.

Are OS updates really that important for most consumers? I have a Desire running Froyo. I don't think I've really missed out on a huge amount by not getting Gingerbread.

btn 15y ago

OS updates are probably more important for developers initially---having access to the latest and greatest API/phone features/bugfixes. This becomes important for consumers when the apps they want to use require a version of the OS they can't get.

degusta 15y ago

I agree they're maybe not essential to a lot of consumers. Lord knows most people never thought about whether their dumbphone's OS was outdated or not, but I do think it's less than ideal for the ecosystem in the long term.

davidedicillo 15y ago

While it may not be directly important to the final users (if you don't count security upgrades between versions), it definitely impact the ecosystem. If you need to pick a platform to develop for, you go for the more homogeneous one from a OS point of view. Also enterprises invest more in devices that have a longer support life. They want to buy something that even in 2-3 years is fully supported by the manufacture.

vetinari 15y ago
Enterprises don't care about device support life. They care, if the phone will survive for about two years. Then the employees will start bug you, that they want new gadget (I know, we have several hundred of them...).

nodata 15y ago

Are security updates important for most consumers? Hell yes. Whether they know it or not.

funkah 15y ago

They are to me. I like that something I bought a while ago continues to improve and add features. Toasters don't do that.

fluidcruft 15y ago

The Eclair/Froyo barrier is quite significant. No JIT, no App2Sd, no flash, no animated gif, abandoned Gmail app ... etc.

saturdaysaint 15y ago

Hard to say objectively, but I believe that actively updated software enhances perceived value. The human mind, even the non-technical one, is deeply attentive to change - as website iterations show, subtle improvements can have huge payoffs and even feed into the mind's reward circuitry. Every time there's a round of iPhone updates, I run into more than a few "normal" people that are delighted by tiny new features (anything from background wallpaper to iMessage read receipts). To people that don't usually keep their software up to date (but are coaxed into it by iTunes and now iCloud), getting new abilities without cost or effort is especially cool/rewarding.

ceejayoz 15y ago

"I heard about this really cool new game, but it won't work on my three month old phone" really doesn't endear devices to the masses.

airlineuser 15y ago
But that doesn't happen, because it's easy for game developers to support FroYo+ devices with the same APK. Example: The latest hot Android game is "Wind-up Knight". It supports Android 2.2 and up. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.robotinvader.knightmare https://market.android.com/details?id=com.robotinvader.knigh...
- ceejayoz 15y ago
  As long as you don't need new APIs or features in a particular version of Android, sure.
  - airlineuser 15y ago
    Do you have any specific APIs or features in mind? I think most app devs look at the installed base numbers and choose to support 2.1+ or 2.2+. I can't think of any APIs in 2.3 or 3.0 (or even 4.0) that are so wonderful that they are worth cutting off such a large part of the potential customer base.
    - jameshart 15y ago
      So in that case, what about customers who DO buy new devices? Your argument suggests that developers won't build software to target the new capabilities their devices have. In which case the manufacturers' refusal to keep their old devices up to date is actually undermining their ability to sell new hardware ("Why should I buy a new android phone; all the software is written to target my existing two year old model")
      - cpeterso 15y ago
        Developers can write apps that are backwards compatible, yet still support new OS or hardware features when available. Also, some developers will write dedicated apps that make full use of new OS or hardware features (like fancy camera apps).

jsvaughan 15y ago

You've missed out on better battery life, definitely. I have a Desire running 7.1 Cyanogenmod, which is 2.3 and it has massively improved it.

rayiner 15y ago

In terms of perceived value? Definitely. See all the flack Apple received for not supporting Siri on the iPhone 4. Now imagine if they hadn't released iOS 4 and multitasking on the 3GS.

gte910h 15y ago

Software is written to an OS, and can't be run by prior OSes. So you'll miss out on some apps.