*Receives automatic Android updates for up to 2 years.
I guess the poor can replace their phone every two years like the rich.
I guess the poor can replace their phone every two years like the rich.
At least XP was supported for over a decade. Having a device as expensive as a phone (for the market) no longer patched after 2 years isn't a good idea.
At least in 4.4 you automatically get a notification when an update is available
Personally I come to smartphones from a x86 PC point of view, so not being able to reflash/reinstall whatever OS I like is a disaster already, to say nothing of no OS updates :).
But on phones not targeted to enthusiasts this is probably not a problem.
I bought HTC desire for my wife couple of years ago inspite of her insisting she won't have use for a big phone. Now, she uses it for Whatsapp, Facebook, Pinterest etc. In fact, she seems to know more about these than I do some times.
Many Android users have a distinctly inferior web experience because they're running a copy of WebKit from 2011 or so but they'd be perfectly okay with an upgraded browser which has the same UI but supports the more recent features supported by the sites they use. Unlike the app situation, this is more noticeable because sites upgrade outside of your control and Android's fragmentation means that many sites won't make it a major priority when deciding whether to backport or simply disable new features on older devices.
App development sure is easy if large percentage of the user base are on the latest version of the OS, Apple does win here.
I really feel the right, responsible thing to make the next five billion secure is to support previous generation phones as long as the phones are still the same functionally.
Continuing with my Galaxy Nexus comparison: GN is a 2011 phone and it seems nothing is on the horizon for 2015 that's going to make it obsolete -- the new phones look and feel the same as it does.
(I know it's anecdotal, but being Central European, I am the only one in my family with a phone that runs Android 4.0 or higher (no iPhones either) -- they all have either Android 2.0 or pre-OS phones. I say this to stress that people here really do stick with their phones as long as they work.)
Although in contrast to e.g. Safari on Android, Chrome does get continuous updates, even on older phones. But, of course, the general point is still true - most Android phones are updated for a miserably short period. Cyanogenmod deserves a lot of credit of lengthening the lifespan of devices.
Just sayin'
Anyway, I think a lot of the complaints about not being able to update your OS stem from iPhones turning into bricks.
Also the main target for these phones: People that are not used to Tech (Including people who never went to school).
I don't think Auto updates even for two years is a good. Most of the target audience would not appreciate a Major Upgrade of OS.