3 ms·

Is the baseband firmware not updatable?

• modeless 3y ago
  Manufacturers have no incentive to update it with new features. Their incentive is to require you to buy a new phone to get those features even if the old hardware could theoretically support it.
  • eternityforest 3y ago
    Google seems to be pretty happy to provide updates. If my phone lasts 8 years I'll be even more likely to buy another Pixel after that time. Especially when they are making money continually the whole time by selling everyone's data, even if you could keep the same phone for 20 years.
    • lxgr 3y ago
      Are you sure these updates include new baseband features? I know Google is pretty good about fixing security vulnerabilities in the Pixel's baseband, as well as providing Android updates for quite a while, but baseband feature updates seem like a different category still.
    • modeless 3y ago
      Google likes to keep the platform software up to date to put pressure on other Android OEMs to do the same. But in terms of consumer facing features they love to make them exclusive to newer hardware for no technical reason. For example many pure software features of Google Camera. It's pure planned obsolescence.