ie8 fix
Click Here

Mobile News

James Kendrick
Home / News & Blogs / Mobile News

Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money

By | December 23, 2011, 9:08am PST

Summary: Samsung is raising the ire of some existing customers with word that Android 4.0 won’t be ported to older handsets. In spite of the official reason, I believe it’s all about the money.

Android is a giant mobile platform that evolves at a fast pace, and along with each new major version comes confirmation from the OEMs that not every product in existence will be getting that shiny new OS update. Most recently is the word that Samsung will not be bringing Android 4.0 to the Galaxy S nor the Galaxy Tab. What really has folks irked is that the reason Samsung is throwing out there is that the new version of Android won’t fit alongside the company’s TouchWiz customizations. That may be the official party line from Samsung but I believe it is really all about the money.

Companies like the goodwill they get from existing customers when they support products for a while, but in the end it doesn’t get them much. Fact is, if OEMs keep updating older devices with new versions of Android it is more likely those customers won’t buy another gadget any time soon. That’s the churn that OEMs depend on to keep sales hopping.

Another side of the update coin for OEMs is the support costs. It is not cheap to get the new version of Android ready to put on an existing handset, nor to start supporting that version going forward. It is like taking on an entirely new support system for each version of the OS, and that is surely expensive.

Like all customers I want my gadgets to have the latest and greatest version of Android, to feel like I am getting my money’s worth. I own a Galaxy Tab and I certainly wish it was getting Android 4.0, but Samsung says that is not going to happen. I don’t like the decision, but I understand it from a cost standpoint.

Many mainstream consumers don’t follow this stuff, and probably aren’t even aware of the new version of Android, much less want to get it. For those more tech-savvy, don’t overlook the outstanding homebrew community that probably has Android 4.0 coming to a device near you. My Nexus S 4G is slated to get Android 4.0 at some point, but I have already put a custom ROM on my handset from the homebrew crew. Not that I recommend that avenue for everyone, but if it’s a big deal to you, wink, wink.

Image credit: Flickr user abulhussain

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

More from “Mobile News”

Topics

Mobile, Android, Google Android 4.0, Mobile Platform, James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long.

Disclosure

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has no affiliations or relationships that need to be disclosed.

Biography

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long. Prior to joining ZDNet, James was the Founding Editor of jkOnTheRun, a CNET Top 100 Tech Blog that was acquired by GigaOM in 2008 and is now part of that prestigious tech network. James' writing has appeared in many print publications: Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine, Information Week and Laptop Magazine to name a few. James' coverage of the mobile technology sector has regularly appeared in the New York Times, Salon.com and CNN/ Fortune online. Not just a writer, James has filmed numerous video reviews and how-tos that have garnered well over a million viewers. He has appeared on local news segments and been interviewed by the Associated Press on mobile technology topics. Additionally, James has been podcasting about mobile technology for years.

63
Comments
Add Your Opinion

Join the conversation!

Just In

Reply to CyberGorilla.
Joe.Smetona Updated - 2nd Jan
@Cybergorilla.

I've been using Linux for over 9 years on my home computers and my families computers. The Linux Mint update cycle is 6 months. I also try different flavors of Linux and am able to do so at no charge and with no difficulty. The parameters for a desktop are pretty well established. The current version of Linux Mint is 12 and my daughter, a junior in college still has version 8. I've offered to replace it, but she just doesn't want to. It works perfectly and she doesn't want to bother. I can't fault her because the base operation in the same. Linux is like that. It does not use AV or anti-spyware and it will not get infected. Really there is no valid reason to update her to a new OS. She has been using Linux on the same notebook since she was a freshman in HS and I never received a call for help with virus infections or operation.

If Apple offers updates to a new OS, what part of the basic operation is going to be different? New icons? New screen savers and wallpapers? How is the new OS going to take advantage of new features using old hardware? Will there be a compromise using it on an older phone because the hardware won't be there to support intricate new functions? Apple doesn't have a lot of phone models either, so supplying an OS upgrade falls into a few predefined slots. If it requires more memory will it result in unacceptable slowness?

Androids are significantly cheaper than Apples. The Galaxy Nexus with Android 4 is $299 for Verizon. I'd buy it and keep it until the plan was done. After that, there may be something more stunning out there, possibly at even a lower cost. It's a phone. So, if I keep the Android 4 for two or three years, what's the overriding reason I need to upgrade it?

To keep things in perspective, If you buy a camera or a video camera or a hard disk drive and something is wrong with it, you should fight to get a replacement. Someone opening the case and trying to repair it usually is bad news. They are complicated devices and perfectly designed and assembled from the factory. Getting an OS update on an older phone may not be a perfect match.

If you review any of the Update posts, no one is really talking about what improvements they will receive with an update. Change for the sake of Change is not desirable.

I't just my thoughts and experience on fixing something that's working fine.
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
Return_of_the_jedi 23rd Dec
Good write up JK.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
cantbeme 23rd Dec
Another of the many reasons to avoid all things Google.
0 Votes
+ -
Should be: Samsung updates: It's all about the money
dunmerbob 23rd Dec
@cantbeme - It's not Google, it's Samsung. Samsung has a long history of abandoning their products. I bought a absurdly overpriced Samsung PDA a decade ago, and the Windows OS updated 6 weeks later. Samsung refused to update, despite a rather large petition effort that made the press. Other manufacturers do this too, but most would respond to a sufficiently large movement. Find out which manufacturers/carriers support their products the best, and go with them even if the device isn't quite the best. A product is never top of the line more than a few months, but you'll probably be stuck with it for at least 2 years. The updates become the big deal as soon as the phone is no longer the hottest, so it's the updates that will make you happy in the long run.
0 Votes
+ -
It's both
otaddy 23rd Dec
@dunmerbob Samsung wants to push new hardware and Google doesnt make it easy to update. Perhaps Google could take the time to make Android more modular so that pieces could be left out and then make updates available on its own, bypassing the carriers and OEM's.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
rhonin Updated - 23rd Dec
@otaddy

Not getting you.. Modular? Google make Android easier?
Huh? Even if there is no guarantee these were not modded.
I can root and load a bare ICS and the Samsung phone still works on AT&T just great.
This is all about the OEM and Carrier mods, not Google and the Android design.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
Habiloso 23rd Dec
@dunmerbob

Simply saying that it is not the fault of Google denies a problem. This is a continuing problem with Android. Too often, the only way to upgrade an Android device is to buy a new one. Sure, this is not google's fault, but it remains a problem with Droid devices.
0 Votes
+ -
Habiloso, now that Google is owner of Motorola
Mister Spock 24th Dec
@Habiloso
the only way to upgrade an Android device is to buy a new one

I imagine the idea of how they update could, and very well may change. Theoreticly, Google could allow other devices the ability to update, while Motorola devices would not. In this sense users would continue to upgrade current HTC hardware, while purchasing new Motorola hardware.

Timing the release of any update along the timeline of new releases of Motorola handset, as opposed to when the release is actually deployable could help in this scenerio.

plain
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
bradavon 25th Dec
@otaddy: Android is modular. It's Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense that take up all the room. They've both got access to the source code, it can't be more modular than that.
0 Votes
+ -
Its not Google? Wrongo.
Cayble 26th Dec
@dunmerbob

Wake up dude. Google supplies the OS. I've seen plenty of people blame Microsoft for the fact that PC manufacturers charge for Windows even for those who are going to install Linux. Now your going to try and say that Googles not to blame where they have entered into deals where manufacturers simply shut out updates because it will cost them?

Sorry pal, read a little and you will soon see its time to migrate to Windows phone 7.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
bradavon Updated - 25th Dec
Hardly.

Apple may do things different with iOS but iOS is the exception. Mac OS X upgrades aren't free and in any other field we don't get upgrades at all. My PVR (except bug fixes) has never got an update, certainly not to the software being run on the companies latest PVR.

The Galaxy S is now old and crucially Samsung can't equip a smartphone with more storage space if it hasn't got enough. The Galaxy S got Froyo and Gingerbread remember, which is more than many 2010 smartphones got.

Techies may prefer Samsung ditch TouchWiz in favour of ICS but that would make it look very different and something the average user wouldn't want. HTC had the same problem with Gingerbread on the Desire. They managed to make it work with Sense just about but only because of the uproar.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
ryanmc Updated - 25th Dec
@cantbeme I guess I should avoid all things Apple as well. I have an original iPhone and I cannot get the latest iOS on it, the last version for it was 3.x. I also have an iPhone 4, but can I get Siri? No. Apple has the same update problems that Android has, there are just a lot more phone makers and users for Android so the problem seems bigger.

This is a problem that has plagued all electronics from the beginning of time. No one is immune.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
Ashm1r 26th Dec
@ryanmc no, this is not a problem on the iOS platform. The original iPhone is from 2007, so after 4 years most users probably upgraded.

The iPhone 4 still has the latest iOS version, but only with missing one feature. This is entirely different from the Android platform where most phones are two to three versions behind the latest version.

BTW, the iPhone 3GS launched in 2009 still has the latest iOS version. I wonder how many Android phones from 2009 can say the same...
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
piousmonk 27th Dec
@ryanmc

There's absolutely no way you can compare an original iPhone not getting iOS 5 with an Android phone you got 6 months ago not getting ICS. Apple makes their upgrades available to end users with compatible hardware, allowing the user to install without jailbreaking. Google leaves it up to the OEMs/carriers, who more often than not, ignore it because it would deter phone (hardware upgrades), plain and simple, meaning users more often than not have to root to get the latest and greatest, even if their hardware is compatible with the latest and greatest.

It still blows my mind that Android fans criticize the iOS5/4S/Siri as a ploy to spur hardware upgrades even though iOS5 is compatible with older hardware and Siri's final compatibility is still undertermined (beta), when at the same time, most Android OEMs abandon their users in terms of OS upgrades the second the customer walks out the door with his/her shiny new Android.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
sreeseche 25th Dec
@cantbeme http://www.zdnet.com/photos/nokia-lumia-710-t-mobile-hands-on/6333430#comments
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
Nathan A Smith 26th Dec
@cantbeme Google runs Samsung now? Oh they don't? You're trolling? Thought so.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
Pete "athynz" Athens 23rd Dec
That simply confirmed that my next Android device will not be a Samsung... Android is a decent OS but if the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate is an example of how Samsung makes their devices then I'll be getting an HTC or Motorola device next time.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
Nathan A Smith 26th Dec
@Pete "athynz" Athens
Maybe try a Nexus S. They run 150 dollars on eBay and ics flies on them.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
predmond 23rd Dec
Android users have options, such as rooting our phones and installing whatever OS we want with the caveat that we accept the risks and resulting incompatibilities, etc.

Of course it's about the money. Everything is. It's called business. Those who don't make money are typically called "out of business". I bought an HTC phone with an Android 2.x installed. I don't feel entitled to have HTC provide and support 3.x or 4.x on my device at no cost anymore than I feel M$ should upgrade me from XP to Win 7 at no cost. (Vista however, well maybe we could debate that one wink
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
redhaven 23rd Dec
@predmond I agree with most of what you say. The difference in my mind is that HTC does not lock down their devices and overlay as much as Samsung (the two nexus phones not included). I had a Galaxy S but I went back to HTC. I was finding that custom ROMs for the galaxy s 4G were basically just the stock touchwiz rom with stuff added in or taken out. For my HTC phone, I can go with the stock rom which has Sense 2.0 on it or I can update to sense 3 or run vanilla android or even run MIUI.

I would really like it if OEMs would leave their devices completely open or at least charge a premium for a completely open device. It seems like users either don't care about having the latest version or know enough about the devices to root it and install what they want.
0 Votes
+ -
With Android, it seems like there's a new phone every minute
otaddy 23rd Dec
@redhaven You buy one and 5min later, a new phone is out. Motorola released so many mediocre devices in 2011. And instead of fixing issues--or better yet, releasing a polished product--they just push out a new device and hope everyone will forget the last turd.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
HypnoToad72 25th Dec
@otaddy - agreed.

And given everybody puts out articles saying how 'green' the iPhone's manufacturing process isn't, Apple IS greener compared to their competition throwing out more phones per year than Apple does in four...
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
dhmccoy 23rd Dec
@predmond

If you say so. Apple, some how, is getting it done. I gave my daughter my old iPhone 3GS and it works with iOS 5. This is a phone that came out in 2009.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
dave95. 24th Dec
@dhmccoy

Very true. Apple will continue to support your device for a number of years. Ironically, the Samsung Galaxy S which came out in 2010 was a direct clone of the iPhone 3GS.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
alexhn555 27th Dec
@dhmccoy Incidentally, only the Google Nexus One lasted 2 years with the most up to date software. The problem is that hardware vendor aren't convinced with the software update at all.

On another hand, Apple is doing so while having a significant premium on phones. That is turning good since they make lots of profits.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
sunilgmishra 23rd Dec
@predmond Your XP to Win7 analogy is entirely misplaced and shows lack of knowledge. FYI.. MS did upgrade all their WinPhone 7 users to WinPhone 7.5 mango FOR FREE - so did all their OEMs.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
predmond 28th Dec
@sunilgmishra

Same base version. My droid get's auto updates for version 2.x.x frequently. Tell me when M$ upgrades their existing phones from Win7 to Win 8 for free and then I'll agree with you that my XP to 7 analogy is misplaced , okie dokie?
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
hopp64 23rd Dec
@predmond

I disagree. As much as I don't like my droid un(Incredible), my contract has at least 6 more months in it and expect HTC to update the software when it becomes available. The reality is at the end of this contract I will not buy another crappy droid.
0 Votes
+ -
Rooting the phone?
Mister Spock 24th Dec
@predmond
As that is indeed an option, it does not work for the vast majority of phone buyers, who are not skilled, or interested in rooting and installing a different OS.

They want something that works for them, not the other way around. For many of those, unless the update will offer them something new, it is not an issue if it doesn't update.
plain
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
HypnoToad72 25th Dec
@predmond -

Well, duh...

And, true, if one release actually worked, we would never upgrade... then they'd go out of business too. wink

Of course, if they whittle down worker wages and hope nobody else does the same, they can increase their profit margins as well and nobody would be hurt because people could still buy their products!!

(So don't feel entitled to anything... they won't... give an inch and they'll demand a mile. If they want a mile, they'll find a way to make it sound charming so you acquiesce...)
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
piousmonk 27th Dec
@predmond

Funny, Apple's iOS upgrades support older devices, and Apple seems to be making plenty of $$$. Maybe the Android OEMs need to take a closer look at their business model. Rather than playing the "look, me too!" game, maybe they should invest in the relationship with their customers.

As for the HTC to Windows XP/7 comparison, it's really off. HTC is a hardware vendor leveraging an open source OS, so they really CAN'T charge for the updates. MS's business model is to sell software. They charge for their upgrades.

Maybe if they'd strip all the crapware and eye candy out and leverage a more vanilla version of Android, there wouldn't be so much overhead involved for these Android OEMs to make ICS available to users who are still under the contract in which they bought their phones. I'm not saying they need to support a 4 year old phone, but it would be nice to know that if I got a phone within the last year that I'll receive the latest and greatest version of Android.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
alexhn555 Updated - 27th Dec
@piousmonk I agree, the consumers are actually buying the hardware and the software.The limited or bad experience is actually forcing the oem to have very small margins on phones.

A much larger margin would be possible only if they had a little software support.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
predmond Updated - 28th Dec
@piousmonk
Really the relationship is between the consumer and the wireless provider in most cases, not the OEM phone manufacturer.

It doesn't matter if they charge for the Android OS or not, the XP/7 analogy is the same. Often in my IT capacity I run across laptops we bought from DELL/HP years ago with XP (or even Vista that was immediately upgraded to XP) that have hardware that is not supported by DELL (or even their OEM manufacturers) to run under Win7. Drivers are "free" too, but the testing, debugging and support for multiple versions of an OS is not free.

I just think that many here are unrealistic, infantile even in their understanding of what it takes in time and costs to develop hardware and then support it with somebody else's OS, and furthermore be expected to do this for multiple products made while said current OS release was still very much vaporware.

Like I said, people have options to root their phones and do what they want with them, at their OWN risk and their OWN expense. Many like myself don't really care that my year old phone doesn't have Android "Cotton Candy" or "Fizzle Stix". For those of you who do, nothing is stopping you.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
JerryScript Updated - 23rd Dec
Having spent the past few weeks attempting to port ICS to my phone, I can assure you it is most likely about the code, not the money. ICS is truly a different beast than Gingerbread or Froyo. The entire framework has changed, and since carrier overlays depend upon the framework, I can completely understand Samsung's stance.

Good news is, ICS is open source, so you can bet there will be custom ROM options available soon (hint hint CM9).
0 Votes
+ -
No....
rhonin 23rd Dec
@JerryScript
Especially when I already have a note (email) from Samsung and AT&T saying my SGS2and SG Skyrocket will get ICS...
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
CyberGuerilla 29th Dec
@JerryScript

So, phone manufacturers actually thinking that their own overlay is more important than keeping up with Android OS upgrades.

Maybe Samsung should thinking about throwing all their own customizations out of the window and deliver vanilla Android OS devices. I will be much happier if they do so.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
pajaro1966 23rd Dec
Well, that's exactly one of the reasons I prefer iOS: I can update the software of my old devices: my old iPod was bought with iOS 2 and now I'm using iOS 4.x. Soon I'll update it to iOS 5. In the long run, it's better to buy iOS products. The same applies to Mac Os and its hardware. If Apple would do with iOS the same as Samsung and other Android supporters do with Android, you, Android guys, would run "thermonuclear" against Apple. The fact that some of you update yourselves your devices is statistically irrelevant. That's not possible for the majority of users. Nevertheless, I think competition is good: I hope there will be at least three or four mobile systems. We all users will benefit from the competition.
0 Votes
+ -
Shssssh....
Davewrite 23rd Dec
@pajaro1966

well you have courage to tell the Truth.
Be prepared though that the Android fanatics will start yelling Fanboy at you... (and probably without any supporting facts for their arguments... )
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
anothercanuck 23rd Dec
@pajaro1966 One difference between iOS and Android is that each iOS version is only a small incremental change of the previous version.
Each version of Android includes major changes and feature additions.
For example: iOS 3 supported like 1 MP4 video (AVC/AAC) format, and iOS 5 supports like 1 MP4 (AVC/AAC) format.
Since Apple gives so little to its customers, it's easy to keep updates compatible with older devices.
As long as you're OK with getting almost nothing, Apple is great.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
hopp64 23rd Dec
@anothercanuck

And as long as your are used to getting beta software everytime, Android is great and yes I have one.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
themarty 24th Dec
@anothercanuck I don't know I see significant changes from one version to another. These changes are maybe not the ones you want but the iOS community is quite happy with them
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
DannyO_0x98 Updated - 24th Dec
@anothercanuck
If you are saying that Android updates are more packed with awesome than iOS upgrades, then it's more shameful that carriers and OEMs are indifferent to their end users' interest in maximizing their phone's value or implicitly ask them to root their phones and escape the reservation if they want to have the phone they think they got.

I had a 2007 iPhone and I was pleased that every year it had better functionality, and if the upgrades had cost $20, I would have paid. Maybe that promoted my brand loyalty, but if any one was already a member of the Apple faithful, that might be me.

Still, I can't overlook that when Jane Consumer walks into the store ready to get a new phone, she looks at what's available and makes the choice based on an understanding that that will be her phone for the next two years. I understand why us in the tech crowd are discussing the upgrade issue, but out there, I think the upgrade concept is a bit abstract. The phone does what it does at a price that makes sense. If I think that somebody should be working at improving the software and those improvements should get on my phone at the first moment I want to update, part of this is me being spoiled by Apple and part of this is my perception that the device is a computer that makes calls. This is a minority and probably niche perspective.

Which explains why folks can have a business and make money without doing things the Apple way. And it also explains to some degree how Apple gets high customer loyalty and satisfaction ratings.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
piousmonk 27th Dec
@anothercanuck

So what you're saying is, every new release of the Android OS is so monumental that the OEMs who actually MAKE the hardware can't cost get it to work on slightly older hardware. This, in spite of the fact there's a strong open source community who routinely accomplishes this feat (based upon all the Android fans here who post their rooting success stories)?

If that's the case, this makes me really question the competency of the likes of Samsung, Moto, HTC, etc., let alone whether I want to be the owner of one of their devices.

That being said, I don't believe complexity is the case. However, I do believe the OEMs lag or flat out refusal to upgrade users is the simple fact the OEMs/Carriers don't WANT you to receive OS upgrades on older devices because they don't want to breath new life into an "old" phone. They want you to run out and buy their latest model the nanosecond you're eligible to do so.
0 Votes
+ -
This is why you pay for an OS
A Gray 23rd Dec
Free means you don't have any expectations. You get what you get. Apple gets money from the products and apps used on their platform, so their OS is a loss-leader that makes them money. Windows makes money from the OS, so keeping it compatible is a business decisions. Andoid? Its just a bunch of code that doesn't make Google any money. You get what you pay for. Take your free OS and be happy it generally works fairly well.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
DannyO_0x98 24th Dec
@A Gray
A loss leader is something one discounts below cost in order to get the customer into a store. Please see Black Friday specials.

iOS is not for sale. Devices require operating systems. Generally, people do not buy operating systems, they buy the device and its functionality which occurs via software driving the hardware through the operating system. iOS is not a loss leader. Apple could have licensed or used another os; Linux was considered.

Google's business, at the moment, is enhanced by improved metrics of the consumer. Increased use of Android does improve the quantity and quality of their metrics. Whether the gain in revenues exceeds the cost of giving away Android, neither I, nor any one whose lips aren't sealed by confidentiality agreements, could answer.

Microsoft sure left those 6.x users and their hardware behind with prejudice.

And people buy a phone, not an operating system, and they are generally stuck with that phone for two years. This discussion is about what is expected regarding the phone keeping its value which is explicitly tied to the freshness of its software of which the os is one major element.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
e182 Updated - 26th Dec
@DannyO_0x98
IOS is not for sale: Yes, Apple is a hardware company - always has been. That is one of the reasons that Steve Jobs used to say that MS and Apple were not in a zero sum game.


Google's business... Hmm, well if you consider that google gets all of its money from advertising and that google controls a majority of Internet advertising (c.f. doubleclick, et al.) then it is pretty safe to say that android has not increased google's top line much more than it would have increased anyway. If android had never shipped, the ads that google served to android would have been served to apple, blackberry, symbian and even win7 (remember google owns doubleclick along with a host of other advertising companies so they aren't just making money off of search ads). It is true that android has increased google's revenue by some amount because android has grown the smart phone market but probably not much more than the market was going to grow anyway. By giving android away for free google is attempting to force the only business model for software to be one based on internet advertising - a business in which they are attempting to solidify a monopoly.


Microsoft not supporting win6: A good business decision since win6 was hemorrhaging anyway.


Apple wants to sell you hardware. Microsoft wants to sell you software, Google wants to sell Ads.
0 Votes
+ -
And the mess that is Android marches on
GoPower 23rd Dec
....
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Android 4.0 updates: It is all about the money
dallas90733 23rd Dec
@A Gray..Andoid? Its just a bunch of code that doesn't make Google any money. You get what you pay for. Take your free OS and be happy it generally works fairly well.
--One thing you fail to mention is Google do make money (indirectly) off Android, all the service/application/Ads, this is the reason Google brought MMI to protect (as you call them) bunch of codes.
0 Votes
+ -
Its All BS !
Geraltay 23rd Dec
I have a Galaxy S and I love the phone but the OS is outdated. The fact that they wont give me ICS is insane. Im currently looking at a Galaxy Tab, well ....was. Its bad enough that hardware upgrades make our current devices out dated in a matter of days - but at least we used to be able to update our software easily and freely in the past. Makes me really miss my Etch-O-Sketch....
0 Votes
+ -
No more Android....
Dwight Kunder Updated - 24th Dec
Android is akin to the grand open "Democracy" which can be modified by the handset/tablet makers or the carriers to suit their own ends. This has left the Android market so fragmented and the users utterly "powerless" to update/upgrade their devices to the newer flavors released by Google. Hence, users are at the mercy of the hardware vendors/ carriers who call the shots regarding release of the newer versions depending on the financial implication on their balance sheet. They would obviously not consider spending money on developing updates for already sold handsets at a loss. They want to attract newer customers with shinier phones/tablets on latest hardware/software specs while wanting their older buyers to dump their "un updated" instrument for the newer ones.

I am a double victim of Samsung, not only for Android (Samsung Galaxy S2 with Gingerbread 2.3.3) but also with Windows (Samsung Omnia Pro B7610 which is still stuck with the ****** Win 6.1 since more than a year). Customer services of Samsung India have no clue about these updates. Samsung released Gingerbread 2.3.6 in Europe but has not cared to push this update in India. This vindicates the regional bias, Samsung's marketing strategy is based upon.....

So.....no more Samsumg handsets/tablets for me and my family. When I learned this bitter truth, I dropped Android tablets for an iPad 2. Though paying about 25% more, I am assured of regular updates/upgrades from Apple and an extremely secure environment to keep me free from malwares.

Moral of the story- "Buy phones/tablets of those companies who also make it's OS"
0 Votes
+ -
The Smartphones market is immature.
peter_erskine@... 24th Dec
The problem really is that there are too many smartphone models, released too early and too frequently, and generally with barely adequate specs. This might explain why companies and organisations are handing their employees twenty-dollar 'classic' feature phones rather than smartphones.
Hence the smartphone market is for well-heeled geeks, and there's just too much churn. What I'm trying to say is these products are crap and bad value.
0 Votes
+ -
Reply to CyberGorilla.
Joe.Smetona Updated - 2nd Jan
@Cybergorilla.

I've been using Linux for over 9 years on my home computers and my families computers. The Linux Mint update cycle is 6 months. I also try different flavors of Linux and am able to do so at no charge and with no difficulty. The parameters for a desktop are pretty well established. The current version of Linux Mint is 12 and my daughter, a junior in college still has version 8. I've offered to replace it, but she just doesn't want to. It works perfectly and she doesn't want to bother. I can't fault her because the base operation in the same. Linux is like that. It does not use AV or anti-spyware and it will not get infected. Really there is no valid reason to update her to a new OS. She has been using Linux on the same notebook since she was a freshman in HS and I never received a call for help with virus infections or operation.

If Apple offers updates to a new OS, what part of the basic operation is going to be different? New icons? New screen savers and wallpapers? How is the new OS going to take advantage of new features using old hardware? Will there be a compromise using it on an older phone because the hardware won't be there to support intricate new functions? Apple doesn't have a lot of phone models either, so supplying an OS upgrade falls into a few predefined slots. If it requires more memory will it result in unacceptable slowness?

Androids are significantly cheaper than Apples. The Galaxy Nexus with Android 4 is $299 for Verizon. I'd buy it and keep it until the plan was done. After that, there may be something more stunning out there, possibly at even a lower cost. It's a phone. So, if I keep the Android 4 for two or three years, what's the overriding reason I need to upgrade it?

To keep things in perspective, If you buy a camera or a video camera or a hard disk drive and something is wrong with it, you should fight to get a replacement. Someone opening the case and trying to repair it usually is bad news. They are complicated devices and perfectly designed and assembled from the factory. Getting an OS update on an older phone may not be a perfect match.

If you review any of the Update posts, no one is really talking about what improvements they will receive with an update. Change for the sake of Change is not desirable.

I't just my thoughts and experience on fixing something that's working fine.

Join the conversation!

Formatting +
BB Codes - Note: HTML is not supported in forums
  • [b] Bold [/b]
  • [i] Italic [/i]
  • [u] Underline [/u]
  • [s] Strikethrough [/s]
  • [q] "Quote" [/q]
  • [ol][*] 1. Ordered List [/ol]
  • [ul][*] · Unordered List [/ul]
  • [pre] Preformat [/pre]
  • [quote] "Blockquote" [/quote]
ie8 fix

The best of ZDNet, delivered

ZDNet Newsletters

Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox

Facebook Activity

Blog Roll

Blog Archive

White Papers, Webcasts, & Resources
ie8 fix