Android phone updates are not the source of anxiety they had in the past

We talk a lot about the best Android phones here and a lot refers to these ratings. From displays to battery life to cameras, smartphones are complex devices that are more than their specifications on paper. One factor that is talked about in several basic sections of the fans are the updates, ie how long a phone will be accepted.

In recent years, the anxiety of updating for Android phones was a real thing. Flagship devices have often been accepted well enough, but mid-range and budget options could be left on the side of the road shortly after launch. Some may receive security updates and patches months later, which I think is better than nothing.

The idea is that it was a problem if your phone from these manufacturers will receive updates to last your phone life. It always happened when your phone reached the end of its life before your operator contract was concluded (that’s how I got into rooting and ROMing).

Google was usually the best in the group, with its Nexus and later Pixel families. OnePlus has finally pursued, improving longer and more timely support (and launching the Open Beta program). Internationally, Xiaomi has also handled updates well. But then you had children with problems, such as Huawei, LG and Samsung. None is as bad in 2020 as in the past, but the feeling of mistrust is hard to shake off.

The good news is that things are getting better. We are seeing more and more Android phones accepted for a long time, with Google continuing to pay taxes. Samsung has taken on three years of operating system updates for some of its devices, which is crazy. It’s almost as if the Android update anxiety could finally go away, at least for the top phones.

The good news is that things are getting better. Anxiety about updating Android may soon disappear.

Earlier, I mentioned that you usually hear discussions about Android updates only in more avid fans or from us, who live and breathe these things for a lifetime. Phones received either praise or warnings in their reviews for the possibility of long-term assistance. I looked at a few phones ago, where I warned people not to buy them simply because I couldn’t guarantee that the device would see new updates and, perhaps more importantly, security patches. I could not knowingly recommend a phone call if the company behind it did not commit to supporting it.

This is a conversation I had from the first days, when the latest version of Android meant more than now. I think there’s less emphasis now on having, say, Android 11 when Google updates so many tracks separately through Play services. It could be argued that assuming that security patches are removed regularly, the version of your phone’s operating system is less important now than in the old days.

Of course, we can’t talk about updates without mentioning the elephant in the room. Apple is king in terms of supporting its devices, even old ones like the iPhone 6S. Honestly, this is one of my biggest points of jealousy when I look at Apple phones. Your iPhone is more likely to run faster than your Android device, even a Pixel (RIP Pixel 2).

Despite its flaws and we could talk about them all day, Apple crushes any Android manufacturer when it comes to updates. I recently got an iPhone 8 with a bad battery. I fixed some money in my nearby Apple store and had what I felt like a new phone, especially with a new installation of iOS 14 on it. This device has a few years left and, although I take care of iOS itself, I think I can almost live with them. It is strange to believe that it will probably be accepted as long as the Pixel 4 XL with operating system updates, if not more.

However, I’m not thinking about the issues you’ll often find on Android devices. Hell, I use pixels and I’m no stranger to poor decisions and weird bugs.

So why does that matter? I clarified that this is something that crazy Android people think about and it is something that we talk about. Most people care about the proper functioning of their phones and even I, a long time Android fan and writer on the subject, have to agree with them. Even if the average consumer does not care to have the latest programs, manufacturers make sure that they do this with regular security patches and annual updates of the operating system is quite admirable.

I am thrilled to see that my pessimist and my young man have been wrong about Android updates that never improve for the table, as if I were about so many things. I guess that’s the beauty of aging, you can look back on how wrong and stupid you were. Devag.

Younger, I was wrong about the fact that Android updates aren’t improving. I’m glad.

I used to hate Samsung and TouchWiz and I don’t think I was alone in that. But how far the company has come, both in terms of software and software support quality, I think I could give them a shot at the moment when I will provide my next phone when it comes time to upgrade. Once again, I deviate.

Android software updates are still some kind of nerdy thing to talk about, but I think it’s always been an important discussion even if we can’t get excited about the nickname of the next version. My family and friends have long sought advice on which phones to buy, given my passion and knowledge of the Android ecosystem, and I’ve always stressed the importance of updates – not just for features, mind, but also for security reasons – and theirs. I recommended phones that met that criterion. I’m sure many of you reading this can report.

So keep fighting for the right fight. Keep your loved ones and friends at least vaguely interested in their phone updates, even if you only tell them about some exciting new features they can try. Anxiety about updating Android may never go away, but at least it’s better now than it ever was.