Help Android System Updates

[jen2440]

Just curious. Is there enough history to show which phones (Samsung, LG, etc) typically get the latest Android updates the quickest. I understand that, unlike iOS, each phone has to have its' own tweeked version, thus some manufacturers get the updates significantly later than others. I assume now the Google Pixel would be the first, but what about the others?

 

[lvt]

We'll never know, it depends on the manufacturers, if they are busy working on a new flagship phone we should expect a delay for older phones.

Anyway the average lifespan of a model is around 3 years, if the update doesn't arrive within the following year it will be a wasted effort.

 

[Hadron]

Manufacturer isn't the only variable. Flagship models typically get updates faster and for longer than low end models from the same manufacturer. Phones bought through mobile carriers get updates slower because the carrier likes to make their own changes to the software as well. And it can vary with time: a manufacturer who were good for a couple of years can slip.

(Actually even with iOS I'm sure each phone needs its own tweaked version - they've got to build for different hardware, and disable features that they want to be exclusive to the new phones . It's just that there aren't many models to support.)

 

[Deleted User]

The Google phones get the updates the quickest.

 

[chanchan05]

Google phones (Nexus and Pixel) get the updates first, and fastest. These are basically the same models as the ones Google test drives, hence the finished product is basically the updates for these phones.

 

[jen2440]

Thanks for all the feedback. More complicated than I thought.

 

[lunatic59]

Don't get too hung up on OS Android version updates. A lot of the fixes and or features can now be pushed out through Google Framework Services as part of regular app updates. As long as you get security patches, which most manufacturers are trying to keep current, you will be fine with the version your phone shipped with.