5 ms·

This is what keeps me from android. I'm sure there are other android phones out there that receive updates but until I do a fair amount of research I won't know

by navs 14y ago

This is what keeps me from android. I'm sure there are other android phones out there that receive updates but until I do a fair amount of research I won't know for sure. My days of carefully researching device purchases are behind me. I just want to walk into a store, buy a new phone and know for the next 2-3 years I'll get all the latest updates. EDIT: Android phone recommendations?

div 14y ago
This is what drove me away from Android and just made me get an iPhone. Much like you, I'm done with researching what device to get for weeks, finally settling on one (with the necessary compromises) and then get shafted anyway. Plenty happy with my iPhone so far, I may reconsider Android once the no-upgrade, crappy custom skin, comes with crapware problems it's riddled with are resolved.
- twism 14y ago
  It's been resolved. Get the phone sold by Google themselves. (GSM Galaxy Nexus) from the Google Play Store. You wouldn't get a Motorola phone with iOS on it (in the event Motorola happened to get their hands on iOS source)?
  - woadwarrior01 14y ago
    Are you sure? This was my reasoning when I bought a Nexus S in early 2011 just after it was released. It came with Gingerbread. Later, at the end of the year, they released the ICS update, and then subsequently was blocked. One of my friends got it, but I never got it (until I downloaded the ROM from somewhere and manually updated). The official line was that this was due to poor battery backup, but I felt the battery backup time improved after the update. Eventually I ended up selling it for 100$ and buying a iPhone 4s. Clearly, all hardware manufacturers have an incentive to not give updates in order to compel people to buy their latest devices. It's just that Apple plays a slightly different game by giving updates, which make your device slower and slower with every upgrade until about 18-24 months later, you just fork out cash to buy their latest device.
    - dagar 14y ago
      You can download the updates directly from Google for all nexus devices. https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
      - tapoxi 14y ago
        Unless the carrier blocks the update from going through. It took two months without a word from Verizon before my Galaxy Nexus finally got the Jellybean update, behind all the other Nexus phones. At some point I imagine Verizon will simply stop supporting the phone, and the developer site will point to the last, 'carrier-blessed' OTA Android release. If I can't trust a Nexus device on this platform, what can I trust?
        sahaj 14y ago
        Only way to assure future updates is to buy an unlocked device directly from Google. I bought an AT&T Nexus S from Best Buy for $49 with a 2 year contract. It did not receive updates from Google even though it had a Google logo on the back and I had to update manually by downloading from the device image download link mentioned above. I have a Galaxy Nexus now that I bought thru Google, it updated to the latest point release as soon as I turned it on. As long as device gets purchased with a contract at a subsidized price, don't expect updates to get to you over the air.
        bunderbunder 14y ago
        > Only way to assure future updates is to buy an unlocked device directly from Google. At least in the USA that's often a sucker move. You pay full price for the phone, but still end up paying a higher monthly fee to cover the subsidized handset you didn't take. A couple carriers do offer BYO handset pricing. But if you want to stick with a big carrier like Verizon then the phones Google sells directly are effectively coming at an extremely hefty premium.
  - msh 14y ago
    No, the original Nexus will no recieve JB officially.... The 3GS which is just as old still got IOS6.
    - dagar 14y ago
      but the original Nexus will still receive the latest google maps, gmail, etc that aren't tied to the OS version like they are in iOS.
    - Macha 14y ago
      Really? Does it have Siri? Does it have FaceTime? Does it have turn-by-turn navigation (the one added feature of the Apple Maps catastrophe)? Is notification Center the only substantial feature added since iOS4? Can the iOS6 running on the 3GS really be considered the same as the iOS6 running on e.g. the iPhone 4S? Or is it iOS4 with a few extra APIs for developers? I mean, Google releases updates to the Google Apps on Android for quite a substantial amount of time, so it's quite possible that unupdated Android devices are actually getting almost the same level of support as the 3GS. The only difference is that app developers have to bundle the [new APIs](http://developer.android.com/tools/extras/support-library.html http://developer.android.com/tools/extras/support-library.ht...) with their Android apps while Apple pushes the new API onto devices.
mtgx 14y ago
Nexus devices are your best bet, but I think even Google intends to only update them for about 18 months, or one update short of 2 years. For example Nexus S was released in the fall of 2010, and I doubt it will get the Android 4.2 update from this fall, not because they can't do it, but because they won't want to do it. Microsoft has also only promised 18 months of upgrades for their WP8 devices. But I think 18 months is too little. It should be at least 2 years or 2 major upgrades. For example, any new device that comes with an Android 4.x version should receive at least the Android 5.0 and Android 6.0 upgrades (and of course anything in between them). Any new Android 5.x device should get every update up to Android 7.0 (including the Android 7.0 update). I would be quite satisfied with such an upgrade process. That's what I'd call quality customer support. Am I being unreasonable to ask for this? Is Apple really the only company that can do this? In that case, I'm not surprised they are so much more successful than the others who forget about their customers almost the moment after they sold them the new phone.
- bryanlarsen 14y ago
  I'd be willing to bet that the s gets 4.2, rumors are that its a fairly minor update. Google usually has a good reason for dropping support: for instance the nexus one did not have enough flash for 4.0. Apple is similar, the iPad didn't get iOS 6 because it didn't have enough RAM.
  - nucleardog 14y ago
    That's exactly the reason they stopped releasing updates for my ADP1 back in the day. There simply wasn't enough internal flash to hold the OS anymore without repartitioning it (something which carries a lot of risks). And the hardware just wasn't up to snuff.
smegel 14y ago
Motorola Razr Maxx. Killer battery life - i get 2 days of heavy usage, would get a week or more of light usage. Updated to ICS from Moto. Specs are soso but dual core plus 16gb flash is plenty for me - no way would i trade specs for battery life given that most top line Android phones struggle to last a single day. Oh, and build quality is very nice (it is a Motorola).
daleharvey 14y ago
Buy a google device (galaxy nexus), simple
paul9290 14y ago
What keeps me from Android is... - The whole fragmentation and apps being made for iPhone first and sometimes never even making it to Android - There is no Android store to take my device for a quick free fix or free replacement (Apple has replaced many of my idevices at no cost and done so quickly) - A new Android device is released weekly; many cheap inexpensive ones. It just doesn't feel sexy/special to me as there is one iPhone millions lust for and the press and consumers go ape nuts over. - The carriers and device manufacturers have a stranglehold on Android. Many Android users are not able to update their 2010 or 2011 Android device to 2012/2013 software as you can choose to do so with the iPhone. Also the device manufacturers create they own UI and add bells whistles. Android does not have one UI/UX to rule them all like iPhone. With that being said as a long time iPhone owner .. I am annoyed by.... - Apple's tight control on it's ecosystem .. it indeed stifles innovation. I wish they would allow developers to build onto the built in apps (plug ins) like the camera, maps, alarm clock, facetime and other built in apps. - New Maps definitely a step down from Google Maps Overall I just wish there was only one Android device in which the UI/UX is controlled by Google. That would solve my Android complaints, but Google's M.O. is to be on as many devices as possible and thus Android doesn't work for me.
- Terretta 14y ago
  > New Maps definitely a step down from Google Maps I'm tired of this meme. It's grounded in truth as the best memes are, but otherwise mostly it's "much ado" by we technorati, doting on SF and NYC public transportation and using "Google" Maps like a paper map to see what's nearby (campus, neighborhood, etc), and thinking everyone's use case mirrors theirs. It's easy to join this chorus. It's harder to voice disagreement by pointing out the huge usability strides in Apple Maps vs the earlier app. You will be mocked. But... In most of America, cell coverage is sporadic and slow. Try to pull up where you are on former maps app and you wait ages for tiles to come in. Zoom, wait ages again. Drive or hike in marginal coverage with Apple Maps and the difference is night and day -- Apple Maps seems almost like it is in offline mode. Stats and tests prove it uses a fraction of the data, and holds far more of your map in memory. In most of America, getting from A to B needs a car. The "Google" Maps didn't do real time turn by turn, much less offer the spoken guidance, glancable visual guidance (and status bar guidance while in other apps) of Apple Maps. In the rest of the world, the famous public transportation options of Google Maps weren't necessarily available. In Rome, for example, a public transportation search simply returns no public transportation found. Apple opened transit up to local providers, and now cities worldwide are already offering local-grown transit apps that hook in. In this country, professional guidance companies like Navigon have already hooked in with "urban guidance" that can blend car to get into city, walking to get from parking to public transportation, and transit to get around town, in a single route. Blogs show screens of Apple's 3D view mapping satellite onto 3D models poorly. So it's not Google Earth. For everyman's workaday use, so what? Articles joke about addresses being in BFE instead of downtown. Google Maps does that too, more times than not, unless you're careful to give enough precision in the search terms, and even then it will prefer Queens or Brooklyn to Manhattan for similarly numbered streets in "New York, NY". You have to use "Manhattan" to get the street 2 blocks away. There's a report issue button, and as users use Apple Maps, the glitches will improve. In the meantime, what's amazing is how much more usable the foundation and architecture of the app and server side data is compared to the old app. This is not a step down, it's a huge step forward that can be readily built upon, and the launch day quirks (that can be found in any mapping app when you know your own area within a data set that covers the planet) simply do not get in the way of the typical user's everyday use. I'm a mapping hobbyist. Google Maps have gotten almost as good as hand made paper maps from the past, but still have a long way to go to get to the level of a Richard Saul Wurman. Apple Maps already have map usability techniques that offer clearer info with less clutter, and in the months of using the beta test app I rarely had complaints in the greater NYC area other than transit, which has now been even better solved by the whole new class of beautiful and usable third party transit apps. Yet technorati have scared regular users from upgrading for fear of "losing" their Google Maps. That's a huge disservice to the normals who count on us for guidance. (And of course they can add Google Maps back to their home screen. It only works online anyway, why aren't we telling people how to have both?) Apple upgraded Maps to offer guidance to regular people in flyover country. Of course Apple should be held to task for insufficient debugging of place points, but even aside from the other fantastic features of iOS 6 (eg shared photostreams), friends and family just wanting to drive to work on the best route to avoid traffic should be encouraged upgrade today.
yichi 14y ago
Can anyone tell me what's the obsession with updating the OS? I've been trying to turn off OS updates for android because it's very annoying.
veemjeem 14y ago
Go with any Google phone, they're developer friendly, support jailbreaking without doing anything crazy, has good upgrade path, and supported by 3rd party mods like cyanogenmod. All the other phones are basically crap -- you'll get one upgrade option if you're lucky, and it probably won't get 3rd party mod support. My Nexus S can get up to jellybean even though it started from gingerbread. I suspect the future Google phones would have a similar level support. I also owned the nexus one, but sad that it wouldn't go past gingerbread.
yesimahuman 14y ago
I bought the Atrix, one of these phones. Worst device I ever bought. To think the iPhone 4 was the exact same price but such a bigger value makes it hard for me to want to go Android again.
darkstalker 14y ago
Samsung devices have a pretty good stock ROMs out of the box. Never had the need to flash my Galaxy S2. And they have flashing-free and reversible rooting methods.
kmfrk 14y ago
Google's phone are probably preferable, because their direct incentive is to grow Android and its popularity. Other handset manufacturers have incentives that don't always align with an optimal user experience. In general, it's better to get a phone whose manufacturers are involved in the OS like Apple, Microsoft/Nokia, and Google.
tatsuke95 14y ago
As a "geek", it will probably drive you crazy to not have ICS. As a regular phone user, Gingerbread will do everything you need it to, and you probably wouldn't even notice it isn't the latest and greatest.
- navs 14y ago
  As a regular phone user I would have a vast array of options. My biggest need is email and the browser. I like to think with every new update the overall experience will improve. I wonder if there's a market for an email only device?
bookwormAT 14y ago
"This is what keeps me from android" I don't get this argument. These Motorola phones are all using a unix like operating system. So why don't you say "That is what keeps me from unix like operating systems", which includes the iPhone? Stop thinking of Android as a Smartphone. Your confusion will vanish immediately: The Galaxy sucks? Don't buy Galaxy anymore. Motorola does not support devices well? Then stay away from Motorola! (At least until the changed course for the mothership). Apple is known for great long term support, so is Google. Buying a device from on of them usually guarantees good support. Asus has a good track record as well. Samsung is not that great, but they still give software support for the Touchwiz OS on their Galaxy line for 12-18 months. This usually includes 2 major Android versions. I'm not in the US, but I hear Verizon, Spring and AT&T provide horrible software support. Never buy a smartphone that has one of their Logos on it. Your experience with a smartphone depends on a combination of hardware, software and service. Android is none of the three things, it's just the technology that most vendors use as the base for their software. It has nothing to do with service.

by navs 14y ago

div 14y ago

This is what drove me away from Android and just made me get an iPhone. Much like you, I'm done with researching what device to get for weeks, finally settling on one (with the necessary compromises) and then get shafted anyway. Plenty happy with my iPhone so far, I may reconsider Android once the no-upgrade, crappy custom skin, comes with crapware problems it's riddled with are resolved.

twism 14y ago
It's been resolved. Get the phone sold by Google themselves. (GSM Galaxy Nexus) from the Google Play Store. You wouldn't get a Motorola phone with iOS on it (in the event Motorola happened to get their hands on iOS source)?
- woadwarrior01 14y ago
  Are you sure? This was my reasoning when I bought a Nexus S in early 2011 just after it was released. It came with Gingerbread. Later, at the end of the year, they released the ICS update, and then subsequently was blocked. One of my friends got it, but I never got it (until I downloaded the ROM from somewhere and manually updated). The official line was that this was due to poor battery backup, but I felt the battery backup time improved after the update. Eventually I ended up selling it for 100$ and buying a iPhone 4s. Clearly, all hardware manufacturers have an incentive to not give updates in order to compel people to buy their latest devices. It's just that Apple plays a slightly different game by giving updates, which make your device slower and slower with every upgrade until about 18-24 months later, you just fork out cash to buy their latest device.
  - dagar 14y ago
    You can download the updates directly from Google for all nexus devices. https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
    - tapoxi 14y ago
      Unless the carrier blocks the update from going through. It took two months without a word from Verizon before my Galaxy Nexus finally got the Jellybean update, behind all the other Nexus phones. At some point I imagine Verizon will simply stop supporting the phone, and the developer site will point to the last, 'carrier-blessed' OTA Android release. If I can't trust a Nexus device on this platform, what can I trust?
      - sahaj 14y ago
        Only way to assure future updates is to buy an unlocked device directly from Google. I bought an AT&T Nexus S from Best Buy for $49 with a 2 year contract. It did not receive updates from Google even though it had a Google logo on the back and I had to update manually by downloading from the device image download link mentioned above. I have a Galaxy Nexus now that I bought thru Google, it updated to the latest point release as soon as I turned it on. As long as device gets purchased with a contract at a subsidized price, don't expect updates to get to you over the air.
        bunderbunder 14y ago
        > Only way to assure future updates is to buy an unlocked device directly from Google. At least in the USA that's often a sucker move. You pay full price for the phone, but still end up paying a higher monthly fee to cover the subsidized handset you didn't take. A couple carriers do offer BYO handset pricing. But if you want to stick with a big carrier like Verizon then the phones Google sells directly are effectively coming at an extremely hefty premium.
- msh 14y ago
  No, the original Nexus will no recieve JB officially.... The 3GS which is just as old still got IOS6.
  - dagar 14y ago
    but the original Nexus will still receive the latest google maps, gmail, etc that aren't tied to the OS version like they are in iOS.
  - Macha 14y ago
    Really? Does it have Siri? Does it have FaceTime? Does it have turn-by-turn navigation (the one added feature of the Apple Maps catastrophe)? Is notification Center the only substantial feature added since iOS4? Can the iOS6 running on the 3GS really be considered the same as the iOS6 running on e.g. the iPhone 4S? Or is it iOS4 with a few extra APIs for developers? I mean, Google releases updates to the Google Apps on Android for quite a substantial amount of time, so it's quite possible that unupdated Android devices are actually getting almost the same level of support as the 3GS. The only difference is that app developers have to bundle the [new APIs](http://developer.android.com/tools/extras/support-library.html http://developer.android.com/tools/extras/support-library.ht...) with their Android apps while Apple pushes the new API onto devices.

mtgx 14y ago

Nexus devices are your best bet, but I think even Google intends to only update them for about 18 months, or one update short of 2 years. For example Nexus S was released in the fall of 2010, and I doubt it will get the Android 4.2 update from this fall, not because they can't do it, but because they won't want to do it. Microsoft has also only promised 18 months of upgrades for their WP8 devices. But I think 18 months is too little. It should be at least 2 years or 2 major upgrades. For example, any new device that comes with an Android 4.x version should receive at least the Android 5.0 and Android 6.0 upgrades (and of course anything in between them). Any new Android 5.x device should get every update up to Android 7.0 (including the Android 7.0 update). I would be quite satisfied with such an upgrade process. That's what I'd call quality customer support. Am I being unreasonable to ask for this? Is Apple really the only company that can do this? In that case, I'm not surprised they are so much more successful than the others who forget about their customers almost the moment after they sold them the new phone.

bryanlarsen 14y ago
I'd be willing to bet that the s gets 4.2, rumors are that its a fairly minor update. Google usually has a good reason for dropping support: for instance the nexus one did not have enough flash for 4.0. Apple is similar, the iPad didn't get iOS 6 because it didn't have enough RAM.
- nucleardog 14y ago
  That's exactly the reason they stopped releasing updates for my ADP1 back in the day. There simply wasn't enough internal flash to hold the OS anymore without repartitioning it (something which carries a lot of risks). And the hardware just wasn't up to snuff.

smegel 14y ago

Motorola Razr Maxx. Killer battery life - i get 2 days of heavy usage, would get a week or more of light usage. Updated to ICS from Moto. Specs are soso but dual core plus 16gb flash is plenty for me - no way would i trade specs for battery life given that most top line Android phones struggle to last a single day. Oh, and build quality is very nice (it is a Motorola).

daleharvey 14y ago

Buy a google device (galaxy nexus), simple

paul9290 14y ago

What keeps me from Android is... - The whole fragmentation and apps being made for iPhone first and sometimes never even making it to Android - There is no Android store to take my device for a quick free fix or free replacement (Apple has replaced many of my idevices at no cost and done so quickly) - A new Android device is released weekly; many cheap inexpensive ones. It just doesn't feel sexy/special to me as there is one iPhone millions lust for and the press and consumers go ape nuts over. - The carriers and device manufacturers have a stranglehold on Android. Many Android users are not able to update their 2010 or 2011 Android device to 2012/2013 software as you can choose to do so with the iPhone. Also the device manufacturers create they own UI and add bells whistles. Android does not have one UI/UX to rule them all like iPhone. With that being said as a long time iPhone owner .. I am annoyed by.... - Apple's tight control on it's ecosystem .. it indeed stifles innovation. I wish they would allow developers to build onto the built in apps (plug ins) like the camera, maps, alarm clock, facetime and other built in apps. - New Maps definitely a step down from Google Maps Overall I just wish there was only one Android device in which the UI/UX is controlled by Google. That would solve my Android complaints, but Google's M.O. is to be on as many devices as possible and thus Android doesn't work for me.

Terretta 14y ago
> New Maps definitely a step down from Google Maps I'm tired of this meme. It's grounded in truth as the best memes are, but otherwise mostly it's "much ado" by we technorati, doting on SF and NYC public transportation and using "Google" Maps like a paper map to see what's nearby (campus, neighborhood, etc), and thinking everyone's use case mirrors theirs. It's easy to join this chorus. It's harder to voice disagreement by pointing out the huge usability strides in Apple Maps vs the earlier app. You will be mocked. But... In most of America, cell coverage is sporadic and slow. Try to pull up where you are on former maps app and you wait ages for tiles to come in. Zoom, wait ages again. Drive or hike in marginal coverage with Apple Maps and the difference is night and day -- Apple Maps seems almost like it is in offline mode. Stats and tests prove it uses a fraction of the data, and holds far more of your map in memory. In most of America, getting from A to B needs a car. The "Google" Maps didn't do real time turn by turn, much less offer the spoken guidance, glancable visual guidance (and status bar guidance while in other apps) of Apple Maps. In the rest of the world, the famous public transportation options of Google Maps weren't necessarily available. In Rome, for example, a public transportation search simply returns no public transportation found. Apple opened transit up to local providers, and now cities worldwide are already offering local-grown transit apps that hook in. In this country, professional guidance companies like Navigon have already hooked in with "urban guidance" that can blend car to get into city, walking to get from parking to public transportation, and transit to get around town, in a single route. Blogs show screens of Apple's 3D view mapping satellite onto 3D models poorly. So it's not Google Earth. For everyman's workaday use, so what? Articles joke about addresses being in BFE instead of downtown. Google Maps does that too, more times than not, unless you're careful to give enough precision in the search terms, and even then it will prefer Queens or Brooklyn to Manhattan for similarly numbered streets in "New York, NY". You have to use "Manhattan" to get the street 2 blocks away. There's a report issue button, and as users use Apple Maps, the glitches will improve. In the meantime, what's amazing is how much more usable the foundation and architecture of the app and server side data is compared to the old app. This is not a step down, it's a huge step forward that can be readily built upon, and the launch day quirks (that can be found in any mapping app when you know your own area within a data set that covers the planet) simply do not get in the way of the typical user's everyday use. I'm a mapping hobbyist. Google Maps have gotten almost as good as hand made paper maps from the past, but still have a long way to go to get to the level of a Richard Saul Wurman. Apple Maps already have map usability techniques that offer clearer info with less clutter, and in the months of using the beta test app I rarely had complaints in the greater NYC area other than transit, which has now been even better solved by the whole new class of beautiful and usable third party transit apps. Yet technorati have scared regular users from upgrading for fear of "losing" their Google Maps. That's a huge disservice to the normals who count on us for guidance. (And of course they can add Google Maps back to their home screen. It only works online anyway, why aren't we telling people how to have both?) Apple upgraded Maps to offer guidance to regular people in flyover country. Of course Apple should be held to task for insufficient debugging of place points, but even aside from the other fantastic features of iOS 6 (eg shared photostreams), friends and family just wanting to drive to work on the best route to avoid traffic should be encouraged upgrade today.

yichi 14y ago

Can anyone tell me what's the obsession with updating the OS? I've been trying to turn off OS updates for android because it's very annoying.

veemjeem 14y ago

Go with any Google phone, they're developer friendly, support jailbreaking without doing anything crazy, has good upgrade path, and supported by 3rd party mods like cyanogenmod. All the other phones are basically crap -- you'll get one upgrade option if you're lucky, and it probably won't get 3rd party mod support. My Nexus S can get up to jellybean even though it started from gingerbread. I suspect the future Google phones would have a similar level support. I also owned the nexus one, but sad that it wouldn't go past gingerbread.

yesimahuman 14y ago

I bought the Atrix, one of these phones. Worst device I ever bought. To think the iPhone 4 was the exact same price but such a bigger value makes it hard for me to want to go Android again.

darkstalker 14y ago

Samsung devices have a pretty good stock ROMs out of the box. Never had the need to flash my Galaxy S2. And they have flashing-free and reversible rooting methods.

kmfrk 14y ago

Google's phone are probably preferable, because their direct incentive is to grow Android and its popularity. Other handset manufacturers have incentives that don't always align with an optimal user experience. In general, it's better to get a phone whose manufacturers are involved in the OS like Apple, Microsoft/Nokia, and Google.

tatsuke95 14y ago

As a "geek", it will probably drive you crazy to not have ICS. As a regular phone user, Gingerbread will do everything you need it to, and you probably wouldn't even notice it isn't the latest and greatest.

navs 14y ago
As a regular phone user I would have a vast array of options. My biggest need is email and the browser. I like to think with every new update the overall experience will improve. I wonder if there's a market for an email only device?

bookwormAT 14y ago

"This is what keeps me from android" I don't get this argument. These Motorola phones are all using a unix like operating system. So why don't you say "That is what keeps me from unix like operating systems", which includes the iPhone? Stop thinking of Android as a Smartphone. Your confusion will vanish immediately: The Galaxy sucks? Don't buy Galaxy anymore. Motorola does not support devices well? Then stay away from Motorola! (At least until the changed course for the mothership). Apple is known for great long term support, so is Google. Buying a device from on of them usually guarantees good support. Asus has a good track record as well. Samsung is not that great, but they still give software support for the Touchwiz OS on their Galaxy line for 12-18 months. This usually includes 2 major Android versions. I'm not in the US, but I hear Verizon, Spring and AT&T provide horrible software support. Never buy a smartphone that has one of their Logos on it. Your experience with a smartphone depends on a combination of hardware, software and service. Android is none of the three things, it's just the technology that most vendors use as the base for their software. It has nothing to do with service.