How long should we reasonably expect Android updates?

biggles

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I purchased an unlocked LG G6, model us997, around June of last year. Its last system update was 1/31/2018. The device is still on Android 7.0 when there are other phones released after it that already updated to Oreo, including the HTC U11. In hindsight, I should have gotten the HTC device. Big fan of HTC actually.

The Verizon version was updated to Oreo last week.

What are the chances this device will eventually get the Oreo update? Pixel phones seem to be the best Android devices for ensuring system updates, they promise minimum 2 years. What is a reasonable expectation on other companies' Android phones?

Also, LG has announced they established a separate division in the company to prioritize software updates. So apparently they are aware of the problem. It is fair to say the poor software support has negatively impacted their sales. Would it help to contact LG and complain? And perhaps mention my next smartphone wiill not be an LG but rather a Pixel?
 
I think 2 years would be reasonable but 3 years should be what everyone is aiming for minimum.


The Android landscape for updates is just terrible. I've put my money where my mouth is and now rock a Pixel 2 XL.
 
Does it really matter in the long run? If you're that interested in staying on top of things in terms of new versions of Android, buy a device from OnePlus or some other manufacturer that is known to support custom ROMs for their devices and then just use those to stay up to date. Hell, I'm running Android 8.1 Oreo on an LG Stylo 2 Plus and I assure you LG will never release anything past Nougat for it - everything works except one aspect, the mobile hot spot, but that's because T-Mobile (my carrier of choice) requires their Mobile Hotspot app to be on the device to make it work and since it's not the stock ROM on here then it just doesn't fly. I don't have any use for that functionality so it's a non-issue to me considering everything else works perfectly as expected.

Plus, with LineageOS on it I know it'll get updates as time passes thanks to some creative and talented developer out there making newer ROMs. I suspect I'll see an Android P ROM sooner or later too.

18 to 24 months is what most smartphone manufacturers expect to be able to offer, some more, some less.

Hell, just yesterday Google dropped an update for the Nexus 6 and that phone is now 4 years old so it was totally unexpected and it wasn't Oreo or anything but even so, just a 7.1.1 update, even so it was pretty cool of them to do it:

https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/...-new-7-1-1-update-upgrades-devices-stuck-7-0/

Of course a lot of Nexus 6 owners have been running Android 8/8.1 Oreo for quite some time, some already running Android P too. :)

So if updates are that important or relevant to you - and I'm not talking about just security patches, etc - then don't buy a "flagship" device from the major smartphone makers, go with OnePlus or some other lesser known company, or even use older devices that have well established community support over at XDA-Developers and run with it.
 
I am on Verizon so OnePlus is not an option. Which is too bad because the OnePlus devices are great. It looks like Pixel is the way to go next time. Meantime, can a custom rom for Android Oreo be installed on an unlocked LG G6 by a user with medium tech skills?
 
I am on Verizon so OnePlus is not an option. Which is too bad because the OnePlus devices are great. It looks like Pixel is the way to go next time. Meantime, can a custom rom for Android Oreo be installed on an unlocked LG G6 by a user with medium tech skills?
Only if you mean the actual unlocked model rather than a sim-unlocked one (the H870 or the US997 but not the US997 sold by US Cellular or Amazon)
 
Only if you mean the actual unlocked model rather than a sim-unlocked one (the H870 or the US997 but not the US997 sold by US Cellular or Amazon)
I got the unlocked LG G6 from bhphotovideo.com. So it is NOT the model sold by Amazon or US Cellular.

I have also posted about this over at XDA (they yelled at me for asking about Oreo) and on the official LG website. So if there is any new info I will share it in case others have the same questions.
 
Huawei has been getting better at releasing updates lately. My Honor 8 just received May security updates. Still on Nougat though but it looks like Oreo is coming.
 
If you want a guaranteed software update schedule and lifecycle get a Google Pixel device, end of story in the Android world.

For security updates, we should be seeing those handled more effectively in the future because of project Treble, but it doesn't seem like we have seen much evidence of this being effective yet, so same thing. If you want guaranteed security updates, buy a Google Pixel device...

This is one of the big reasons I didn't go back to Samsung after I got hosed on my Galaxy Note 7...
 
Realistically, the best you can ever hope for is two years of core OS updates, and if you want timely updates, you're looking at a very narrow range of vendors (Google, HTC and Essential, for example). The problem you have with LG is also a problem at Samsung, Sony and many other manufacturers. If you want more than two years of OS support and timely upgrades in the same device... well, your only real option is an iPhone.

I wouldn't expect to get far saying you'll switch to a Pixel -- remember, the Pixel 2 XL is an LG-made phone. You'd have better success saying that you're switching to a Galaxy S9 or an iPhone.
 
I just checked the purchase date on the unlocked LG G6 and it was mid-May 2017. Which was basically release date. So 8.5 months of system updates, and then nothing. It would be pretty bad if that is all.
 
June security update available on the Pixel 2 XL when I tapped check for updates. Dunno how long the T-Mobile folks will have to wait.
 
Google needs to step in and require all devices to run Stock Android. Any features/apps/appearances should come as a bundled package from the Google Play store on its own update schedule. Updates will continue to be a complete joke until Google does something besides fix the problem internally by releasing Pixel and Android 1 phones.
 
Good news, I got the Android 8.0 update today. It is dated 5/1/2018 security patch.
 
If you get the Google phones, you get official guaranteed 3 years of support.

If you have a Scamsung or LG you might get 9 months.
 
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3257607/android/android-upgrade-report-card-oreo.html
Is this a good predictor of future Android updates by manufacturer?
Google A
OnePlus D
HTC F
Motorola F
LG F-
Samsung F-

I added the minuses after Samsung and LG since neither had updated to Oreo as of the time of this article.

Is it fair to assume the companies with more complex Android skins (Samsung and LG) will continue to be the slowest? Due to the fact that it is harder to do QA testing on those devices.
 
Google needs to step in and require all devices to run Stock Android. Any features/apps/appearances should come as a bundled package from the Google Play store on its own update schedule. Updates will continue to be a complete joke until Google does something besides fix the problem internally by releasing Pixel and Android 1 phones.
At least Nokia/HMD realised what people want.
 
My wife has the Tmobile LG G6, she's still on the December security update, and still running Android 7. And I check for updates on her phone every couple weeks.
 
I got the notification for Oreo 8.0 on my unlocked US997 G6 a few days ago. Still havent upgraded as I am waiting on a solid root for it.
 
LOL on the F-, there's something worse than fail... Like TouchWiz
 
A great write up of Project Treble from Ars:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...gineers-are-winning-the-war-on-fragmentation/

From the article, I see this as apparent:
The only Android manufacturers to be trusted on updates instead of planned obsolescence are Google, Nokia, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Essential, Vivo, Sony, and Oppo. Everyone else are beyond pathetic since Project Treble is supposed to make updating easy.
 
A great write up of Project Treble from Ars:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...gineers-are-winning-the-war-on-fragmentation/

From the article, I see this as apparent:
The only Android manufacturers to be trusted on updates instead of planned obsolescence are Google, Nokia, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Essential, Vivo, Sony, and Oppo. Everyone else are beyond pathetic since Project Treble is supposed to make updating easy.
NIce article, beyond my tech skills to understand all of it. Does Treble only work on devices that initially were sold with Android Oreo? So for example, would Treble work on the LG G7 Thinq but not the LG G6?
 
There are a few phones that updated to Treble like the Essential Phone and number of Chinese phones. This does not include Oneplus, Samsung or LG.

Any phone that ships with Oreo must support Treble.
 
I was happy when I got Android 6.0 last August on my Lenovo tablet. Maybe I will get 7.X sometime later this year..
 
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My s7 got oreo a few months ago. I’m pretty sure thats the last full version update it’ll get. I intentionally bought the international version though so once Samsung gives up on it, I can root and rom it to get me through another year or so.

Honestly, if they release a phone with something like android 7. I wouldn’t be offended if they never updated to 8, but they should at least supply the most updated version of 7 and security patches as long as the software is mainainable.
 
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3257607/android/android-upgrade-report-card-oreo.html
Is this a good predictor of future Android updates by manufacturer?
Google A
OnePlus D
HTC F
Motorola F
LG F-
Samsung F-

I added the minuses after Samsung and LG since neither had updated to Oreo as of the time of this article.

Is it fair to assume the companies with more complex Android skins (Samsung and LG) will continue to be the slowest? Due to the fact that it is harder to do QA testing on those devices.
lol no, they don’t do QA on these updates.
 
Quite interesting that the Honor 8 beta Oreo rom has treble support (considering the age of the device and the fact that it was released with Android M). Then again I think Huawei has supported treble on all their devices that have received Oreo.
 
Funny there's no mention of BlackBerry in this thread, which is somewhat odd because they *do* push security updates, they *do* have incredibly secure devices (they can't be rooted so that helps from the gitgo), and they are fairly rock solid hardware. Now as for them providing 2+ years of support in terms of more than 1 new major OS upgrade (they just announced the KeyTwo will get at least one major update so that means Android P as it ships with Android Oreo) that does not mean they won't provide security updates with the monthly security patches for at least 2 years.

Even so, I still say if you want a long potential future towards updates and new versions of Android, get something from OnePlus or perhaps a Pixel device because the community support behind those is very strong and even if the manufacturers give up on them after 2 years the community will still be pushing new versions of Android out whenever they come alone.
 
Funny there's no mention of BlackBerry in this thread, which is somewhat odd because they *do* push security updates, they *do* have incredibly secure devices (they can't be rooted so that helps from the gitgo), and they are fairly rock solid hardware. Now as for them providing 2+ years of support in terms of more than 1 new major OS upgrade (they just announced the KeyTwo will get at least one major update so that means Android P as it ships with Android Oreo) that does not mean they won't provide security updates with the monthly security patches for at least 2 years.

Even so, I still say if you want a long potential future towards updates and new versions of Android, get something from OnePlus or perhaps a Pixel device because the community support behind those is very strong and even if the manufacturers give up on them after 2 years the community will still be pushing new versions of Android out whenever they come alone.
It's not that surprising. Nobody uses their devices.
 
But it is because more people use them than you might think, unfortunately they're charging way too much these days for their mid-level hardware spec and it's going to doom them. The KeyTwo is basically a $450 phone at best and they're asking $650 for it so, while there are hardcore BlackBerry supporters still out there, it's going to get to a point where even those people are going to start saying "OK, if we're paying this much, why not give us a proper flagship device, you did it once with the Priv and used the best spec SoC that was available at the time... nowadays you're just pushing out mid-tier performance and charging a premium price for it."

They won't last with the course they're on for the prices they're asking, sadly.
 
They don't sell them here in Finland (as far as I know, they never have). Also considering that, for example, the Nokia 8 goes for 399 € (299 € from time to time) it wouldn't make any sense to buy BlackBerry.
 
Here's the question I have. Do we actually need "all new" versions of Android constantly being pumped out? Are these new versions revolutionary and necessary? Are many of these versions basically minor updates to what is already there?

I've seen people say over and over that you should buy a Pixel for updates. Google is the very company pumping out these updates left and right. Do we actually need the constant updates every few months or should Google take a bit longer to put everything together and put out an OS less often but more complete? It boils down to this, is the update issue caused by manufacturers or the very company putting out the updates?

I usually keep my phones until they break. I'm not someone sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next OS release. I'm using a Galaxy S6 released with 5 which shortly after got an update to 6 and is currently running 7. I'm not a phone enthusiast but I used my phone the same way and with no problems no matter which version of Android was on it.

Forced obsolescence based on OS version can be an issue and some manufacturers/carriers can be real asses about releasing new versions, but I think the blame rests as least as much with Google as it does with any manufacturer/carrier. We're well past the Wild West period with regards to cell phones as there have been very few real innovations regarding phones and additional capabilities so I see no reason why a constant barrage of new OSes is by any means a requirement.
 
Most of the monthly updates are just security updates for the Pixel. The point is that you're getting security updates for the latest exploits.
 
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Here's the question I have. Do we actually need "all new" versions of Android constantly being pumped out? Are these new versions revolutionary and necessary? Are many of these versions basically minor updates to what is already there?

I've seen people say over and over that you should buy a Pixel for updates. Google is the very company pumping out these updates left and right. Do we actually need the constant updates every few months or should Google take a bit longer to put everything together and put out an OS less often but more complete? It boils down to this, is the update issue caused by manufacturers or the very company putting out the updates?

I usually keep my phones until they break. I'm not someone sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next OS release. I'm using a Galaxy S6 released with 5 which shortly after got an update to 6 and is currently running 7. I'm not a phone enthusiast but I used my phone the same way and with no problems no matter which version of Android was on it.

Forced obsolescence based on OS version can be an issue and some manufacturers/carriers can be real asses about releasing new versions, but I think the blame rests as least as much with Google as it does with any manufacturer/carrier. We're well past the Wild West period with regards to cell phones as there have been very few real innovations regarding phones and additional capabilities so I see no reason why a constant barrage of new OSes is by any means a requirement.

Actual version of Android doesn't matter. What matters is the security updates. I'd be happy to still be on Android 5 right now if the phone was getting security updates. My workflow didn't change when my V30 got upgraded from 7.1.2 to 8.0. I really don't care too much anymore about major version upgrades. I just want guaranteed security updates for X amount of time.

I stopped using my LG Watch Urbane because LG decided to stop updating it and then they EOL'd it when it was less than 2 years old. It's vulnerable to Bluebourne and KRACK. That's so not OK in my book. When they did that to the watch that's why I decided V30 would be my last LG device due to the updates. I want a Pixel after I'm done paying off my V30. I want the guaranteed security updates.
 
Most of the monthly updates are just security updates for the Pixel. The point is that you're getting security updates for the latest exploits.

This. Feature updates don't come very often. Even on iPhone, feature updates usually come with major revisions. They might include a fix here or a minor feature change there, but the changes that are similar to Nougat to Oreo are more like IOS 11 to IOS 12 which only happens about once a a year. Security updates are what's important and a good metric to use when you look at updates.
 
Most of the monthly updates are just security updates for the Pixel. The point is that you're getting security updates for the latest exploits.

Actual version of Android doesn't matter. What matters is the security updates. I'd be happy to still be on Android 5 right now if the phone was getting security updates. My workflow didn't change when my V30 got upgraded from 7.1.2 to 8.0. I really don't care too much anymore about major version upgrades. I just want guaranteed security updates for X amount of time.

I stopped using my LG Watch Urbane because LG decided to stop updating it and then they EOL'd it when it was less than 2 years old. It's vulnerable to Bluebourne and KRACK. That's so not OK in my book. When they did that to the watch that's why I decided V30 would be my last LG device due to the updates. I want a Pixel after I'm done paying off my V30. I want the guaranteed security updates.

This. Feature updates don't come very often. Even on iPhone, feature updates usually come with major revisions. They might include a fix here or a minor feature change there, but the changes that are similar to Nougat to Oreo are more like IOS 11 to IOS 12 which only happens about once a a year. Security updates are what's important and a good metric to use when you look at updates.

And yet practically no one is talking about security updates with regards to Android. It's always about wanting the new version of Android. Even then, what's the point of the new version since there's usually very little done which is an actual major revision. The point is that these "major" revisions every year are as much of the problem as anything else. As I already stated, this is no longer the Wild West of cell phones with things changing dramatically every few months or even every year.

Security patches and small updates are much easier and quicker to roll out than "major revisions" and there's little point to putting out a new "major revision" every year when little actually changes. Google is the one behind the unnecessary yearly revisions and that is what manufacturers/carriers latch onto with regards to updates. It would be much easier to pressure such companies to support the software (security patches) longer if they didn't have the excuse to abandon support because of the new arbitrary OS number Google released recently.

My most basic point is that I think people are looking at this ass backwards.
 
Meanwhile today Apple announced this:
https://9to5mac.com/2018/06/04/ios-12-supported-devices/

Here's hoping Google and Samsung start supporting their devices as much as Apple does.

At one point I was upgrading devices every 2 years and would have agreed that 2 years worth of updates was enough. But now that I have other priorities in life and am coming up on 4 years with my iPhone 6 I am happy and grateful that it's still getting the latest updates. Part of me is a little jealous that I don't have a 5S so I can boast that my phone from 2013 will still be getting updates into 2019 (likely).

I'll be running my current phone until it fails or stops receiving updates. I have a feeling that this won't will not get iOS 13 come next year. Everyone is praising Apple for not eliminating devices with iOS 12, but I think they'll be pretty aggressive with the next version.
 
And yet practically no one is talking about security updates with regards to Android. It's always about wanting the new version of Android. Even then, what's the point of the new version since there's usually very little done which is an actual major revision. The point is that these "major" revisions every year are as much of the problem as anything else. As I already stated, this is no longer the Wild West of cell phones with things changing dramatically every few months or even every year.

Security patches and small updates are much easier and quicker to roll out than "major revisions" and there's little point to putting out a new "major revision" every year when little actually changes. Google is the one behind the unnecessary yearly revisions and that is what manufacturers/carriers latch onto with regards to updates. It would be much easier to pressure such companies to support the software (security patches) longer if they didn't have the excuse to abandon support because of the new arbitrary OS number Google released recently.

My most basic point is that I think people are looking at this ass backwards.

Only the dumbass fanboys on XDA talk about it like that anymore. The problem is that's the most vocal part of the Android community. For years that mentality was the only mentality. The problem is the IQ of XDA drops on a daily basis so they aren't looking at it like Google and the rest of us look at it now.

Any good Android news site or blog talks security updates all the time and crush some of the OEMs for lack of security updates. Sure major revision updates are nice but having Android 8 with Security patches from November doesn't mean much in the grand scheme.

The real issue is Joe Average doesn't give a fuck about updates. Joe Average doesn't give a shit whether they have Android or iOS. They really could not care less about what version of software they're on. The major OEMs know this so they don't care either.
 
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