A Little Help, Please...Who pushes the Update?

[brightsn]

All right, I've Googled the subject and cannot find anything definitive. From what I have been made to understand, updates to the Android operating system go like this:

Google releases the update (In the case of 1.6, 9 months ago)

The handset makers receive the update and change it to their liking/to fit their own version of Android

The handset makers then send it to the telecom companies for approval and they make their own suggestions

The handset makers tweak the update again before sending it back to the telecom companies

Once they have approved the version of the update, the telecom companies push the update out to the handsets using their own network

Someone, anyone, please correct me if I am wrong and tell me how I am wrong. If it isn't too much, can you please provide links to the appropriate information?

If I am right, please do the same.

The reason that I am asking is that over on the T-Mobile forums there are 3 posters that are insisting that if Behold 2 owners have a beef, then it is with Google and not T-Mobile. They are insisting that Google pushes out the update over their own servers and that T-Mobile has nothing to do with it. This is the first I've heard about OS updates being released this way.

These posters have been openly accused, by me and others, of being paid shills. An accusation that none of them have addressed. If they are right, I am willing to contact Google, and leave T-Mobile out of the equation. If they are wrong, I want to call them out as the lying corporate shills that they are, and make sure that everyone on the forum has the right information, with appropriate evidence.

Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.

 

[psz]

You have it correct.

Google makes Android, Samsung makes the updates for their phones, T-Mobile pushes it to the phones.

 

[brightsn]

That's what I thought. This was posted by a shill on the T-Mobile forum:

Also do you know that when it comes to pushing the update the only part TMO has is that they provide the internet service (hence my first question) to get the update? The update comes directly from Google, you can ask any Android OS developer, when the OTA is pushed to the phone it comes from a Google server (has a Google web address) therefore Google is pushing the update not TMO. TMO and Google work together to get the update out as smoothly as possible. So TMO has a little more control than during software development. This is why when something like this happens where a number of customers haven't received an update you can't just call TMO and have them "push" the update, it's because they can't, they do not that much "control" the update.

Is this true? Could the error be on Google's end, or does their role end once the update has been released?

 

[psz]

It's T-Mobile's mobile network. Hence why you have to be on the 3G network (and not WiFi) to get the updates.

 

[Circuit Boy]

brightsn, I saw that explosion over there and thought about commenting in it, but decided that it wouldn't be a very good first post on my part.

The fact is it's irrelevant whether it's T-Mobile, Google, or Samsung who's pushing the software. Our contracts/agreements are not with Samsung nor with Google. Our agreements are with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile may be acting as Samsung's (or Google's) agent, but as far as T-Mobile's customers should be concerned, those are outside third-parties. Our money is not being paid to Samsung (or Google)--it's going to T-Mobile.

Whatever agreements T-Mobile has with Samsung (or Google) simply do not matter in relation to the fairly explicit agreement T-Mobile has made with its customers about this update.

If Samsung (or Google) has dropped the ball on this update, T-Mobile is still the responsible party to its customers. It can--and, if this is true, should--turn around and hold Samsung (or Google) financially responsible, but that would be after finding a way to make things right with its own customers.

 

[brightsn]

@Circuit Boy, very true and I recognize that. However, it makes me so very angry to think that there are people or perhaps a single person attempting to spread misinformation to T-Mobile customers. I have to ask myself what's in it for them?

If (and most likely this is the case) T-Mobile or Samsung have paid operatives monitoring the forums, that is energy and expense that they could be using to improve their goods and services for the customers. Rather than fix the problem, or give further information on how to proceed going forward, they'd rather spread half-truths and entire lies on their own forum. It just isn't right.

I would hate to think that anyone would go on believing the lies these posters are spreading as unequivocal truths.

 

[rleal2010]

Each cellphone maker makes their own user interface, which allows cellphones to be different from one another. If all the interfaces were the same, then it would just be a battle of how fast can your cellphone go or how long can the battery last or what physical differnces are there, ex: physical keyboard.

since samsung does not give us the code to edit their software, we cannot install the latest updates ourselves. Samsung is trying to make their user interface compatible and their hardware (camera, etc) compatible with android.

once that is done, they release it to tmobile in order make sure everything works on their network. Then its up to tmobile to release the update unless samsung wanted to waste the money to do it.

In the end its tmobile that benefits feom the update and not the maker of the cellphone. Tmobile will have happy customers and stay on a plan longer. So the money wasted to get the update out will be paid back in profit from a customer staying another year on a plan.

If your phone was neglected and your plan was up, wouldn't you go to another network to get another phone? You would more than a person that wasn't neglected

 

[germ]

I can say I was one of the people trying to correct the individual giving misinformation. I pretty much told him that I pay TMO for the service and they have the resources to fix or get in contact with the parties that are involved.