Sony Ericsson updates

[Cryssie]

I just wanted to ask the community something out of curiosity.

I have been reading the announcements that SE will update the entire 2011 Xperia line to ICS (joy!) and the responses to that news. While there were many people expressing their delight in this, there was also a fair number of people who were angry. Not because their phones do not get ICS but because their phones do not get it FIRST. A lot of Arc owners were grumbling because they bought an Xperia first so they should get the update first.
Now, this really made me unreasonably mad. I should know better then to give a rats-arse about what people say on the internet, but yes; I could rant for a while about adults behaving like spoiled children. One would honestly think they are getting a chewed out, extra drooly, second had version of ICS.
Now, is there a piece of SE/Android history I'm missing out on? I'm fairly new to the bandwagon, so I may not see this in perspective.
Am I weird in thinking this response is the prime example of a first world problem?
(Oh, and before a disgruntled Xperia owner points it out: Yes, I am in the first update wave. So what? Want to trade? I really, REALLY do not care if I get it in 3 or 4 or 5 months, as long as it is good.)

 

[chanchan05]

Get it first, as in this batch of Xperia first, then this batch next? This is normal for ALL smartphones, whether Android or not. To put a perspective, in the Nokia forums some years back, people are always complaining about updates in batches (the 5800 for example had 8 updates). The Brits for example are always complaining why the Danish get updates before them, and Americans tend to get it last even behind some third world countries.

There are several issues to consider here. First thing, usually phones are divided into variants, for Android this would seem to be the vanilla international versions, and then the country variants, and then the carrier variants. Vanilla international versions tend to get the updates earliest.

Country variants get it later because of certain country restrictions wherein they must make changes in the OS. For example certain countries have laws against cameraphones without shutter sounds, so they have a special firmware where that option is missing. Other countries prohibit phones with voice guided navigation, etc. The country with the most restrictions in terms of Android I think is China.

Carrier versions on the other hand may get the updates as soon as the vanilla versions, or later. Technically, the process here is that the OEM (in this case Sony) gives the carriers the firmware, then they add their own bloatware or whatever programs they want to put, before pushing it to their customers.

 

[Cryssie]

Get it first, as in this batch of Xperia first, then this batch next?

Yes! The first batch is the Arc S, Neo V and Ray. Second batch are the other 2011 Xperia phones (Arc, play, Neo etc..) and the Live with Walkman. They are planned about a month apart.

You are making lots of sense!
It is interesting to realize how many things need to be taken into account. Thanks for your explanation