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Google announced their solution to this problem at the last Google I/O: the Android Update Alliance. It was basically a commitment by manufacturers to update ph

• javajosh 14y ago
  Thank you natrius for that link. I'd never heard of the Android Update Alliance before. It is indeed very similar to what I'm proposing, and it's sad to see that it didn't take the first time around. I think it's worth trying again, perhaps under a new moniker, and with some changes. One big change is option #2 - no device or carrier modifications. That means that the onus really isn't on the manufacturer to support an upgrade, other than getting the initial certification. After that step is taken, they have Google's assurance that future updates will run on the device. Another potential change would be for Google to spend some marketing dollars on the initiative. Finally, Google could make certification a required part of the Android licensing process. It becomes a non-voluntary program. The drawback to this, of course, is that it raises the bar on all Android phones, probably reducing the cheapest options to close to zero. (Although, who knows? I'm not a marketer or analyzer of markets. I truly have no idea what this change would do to the Android landscape, and I'm sure there are people with comfy 6-figure salaries at Google and the OEMs that can answer this question with more confidence, if not more certainty.)