The 18 months of OS updates has been around for a few years. I’ve used Samsung flagship phones since the original galaxy note and they’ve all had 2 major OS updates. All of the major android OEMs like LG, Sony and HTC also offer 2 major OS updates and have for years.
Offer. But it is up to the carrier to push it out. Not Google, not the OEM. I can't help but repeat myself. Google may require this and that, but it is up to the carrier, at least in the US, to push the update. Let me give you a reference date. S6 came out in 2015. Nougat came out in August 2016. Verizon finally pushed Nougat out on a rolling basis in April 2017. My phone didn't update until nearly July despite checking for updates OTA and on WiFi twice a day. That is over 24 months later. Unacceptable when compared to Apple's updates. Don't tell me devices get 18 months of updates when that is absolutely false. Carriers are not subjected to fines by any regulatory body or the OEMs or Google for not pushing out updates in a timely manner.
Sony isn't popular in the states. LG and HTC carry a bad rep for subpar phones, with LG's latest flagship being rather good, but suffering from technical malfunctions.
I’ve used Samsung flagship phones since the original galaxy note and they’ve all had 2 major OS updates.
Carrier related, again. You live in the UK. There are regulatory bodies for carriers not playing nice. We don't. The FCC does absolutely nothing in this regard. We don't have an ASA like you do to fine companies playing naughty. NEXT.
I think it’s the Chinese OEMs that have been guilty of not updating their devices.
Last I read Huawei and OnePlus regularly push out updates towards carriers.
Even google now offer 3 major OS updates on pixel phones. These phones have the same chipset as a Samsung phone and in most cases the flagship Samsung phone has more RAM. The only difference is that a pixel phone runs a less ‘bloated’/bare bones version of android. However regardless of this I just don’t think the android OEMs in general have the same outlook as Apple. Apple want to keep you in their ecosystem.
Okay, let me explain this to you. Google does do that. But again, it is up to the carrier to certify the update to make sure it plays nice with their network before they release it to handsets. A user may risk bricking their device by flashing their phone with a newer OS provided the handset is unlocked. Samsung uses ODIN. I can't speak for other brands. You can flash an unlocked phone to a universal ROM without carrier bloat, or your carrier's ROM. By doing this you void the warranty on the handset and the carrier is not responsible for any problems that may arise.
On older phones that I didn't need, I have flashed stock Android. There is still considerable lag with or without Samsung's bloated UI.
Also, did you just repeat what I said many posts ago about Apple banking on people wanting to stay into the ecosystem since every service and device integrates with one another? You did.
Apple are banking on people wanting to stay in the Apple eco-system, and thus will do anything to keep themselves in. Even if it means buying an older handset or changing carriers that offer new customers from other carriers an offer that's too good to pass up. And they get to take their number with them.
They are playing a long game. They want you to have such a good experience with your iPhone/iPad that you buy another. They don’t mind that you keep your iPhone for 3-4 years and they keep it updated and provided good aftersales support which in turn means you’re more likely to purchase another iPhone when the time comes.
Sigh. Apple doesn't need to play any game. They've already established themselves in the market. I very much doubt there's a considerable amount of people abandoning iPhones versus Android users abandoning Android and hopping on over to Apple. Low and mid-range Androids from years past left such a bad taste in people's mouth they switched over to iOS. The fact there are people who care about text bubble color means your argument holds no water. People are enamored with iPhones. Apple needn't play a long game or lull people into their space. You either have an iPhone or not. Apple doesn't care. They know most people will opt for an iPhone because it's cool, it works, it's relatively problem free, they hardly slow down, the apps are generally better, cool apps arrive on iOS first, etc.
The android OEMs only seem to be interest in the short term. They want you to buy a phone now and once you’ve bought it they don’t particularly care. They are moving onto the next device and the next sale.
And this falls back on Qualcomm. Qualcomm SoCs are in most Androids around the globe. An OEM may utilize Android Pie or whatever the next one is called, however, Qualcomm must release a drivers set for the phone to work properly. Qualcomm is under zero obligation to provide support for their SoCs years after they've produced them. In other words, Qualcomm decides whether it wants to provide support for Android Nougat or Pie, or whatever, and develops a driver package and SDK to OEMs like HTC, Samsung, etc. to use. Blame goes to Google, carriers, OEMs and especially Qualcomm.
Again I think you’ve said it here many of the issues you are having are to do with the OS not the chipset. Another advantage Apple has it that they design their OS and chip in tandem to work together. Qualcomm design the chip and sell it to whoever wants to use it.
And again, I've explained to you for the third time why you are incorrect. The OS is still buggy and slow. It just is. I've loaded up stock Android images on my older Samsungs that were capable of doing that the moment I didn't need them. This takes away Samsung bloat and leaves a pure Android OS. With or without animations, the experience was laggy.
Secondly, for the third time, I will explain this so you can understand. If Qualcomm doesn't provide a drivers set and SDK to OEMs for the SnapDragon 845 to use in the next 2-3 versions of a major Android release, the OEMs cannot do anything about it. They need those drivers to develop their updates, which they send to carriers, which evaluate and certify. American carriers drag their feet, sometimes never releasing said update. In April 2018, Samsung cut off updates for the entire S6 family, including critical security patches. Not even 3 years of updates, not even 2 since it took everyone way too long to get the ball rolling. People who bought an iPhone 5s are getting iOS 12. Apple promises at least 5 years of major updates, and then some with security patches. You do not get that with Android. You do not get individual phone refinement like you do with Apple. Apple figured out a way to breathe life into older phones by changing how those phones launched applications compared to newer phones. You won't ever get that with Android, through any flagship phone, even a Google phone. Ever.
I think it’s fair to say the older android devices were laggy and not as smooth as an iPhone. However the ones I’ve used over the past few years have been just as smooth and fluid as any of my iPhones.
Missus Z's XS Max runs circles around my S9. It's not just old phones that can't compete with Apple's offerings. I use the XS Max at home, using the same apps available on both platforms. The iPhone does better in each app. My only qualm about iPhones is the way iOS is. I've never liked it, even after having multiple iPads over the years. There's also the volume HUD and quick settings panel HUD that are annoying on iPhones, etc.
I recently played around with a OnePlus 6T. Fast phone. Slightly slower than the S9. Less lag here and there, but it's still a problematic handset. Having used an iPhone 7 and 8 in the past, it feels slower than those.
I don't care about notches or punchouts.
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If you look at terms of popularity with features, it’s the camera. I don’t believe very much consumers care about features like 3D Touch and 720 P displays (Or 828 P) as much as they do about features they actually understand. The problem with 3D Touch, it’s not marketed by Apple, most users have no idea how to use it, even though someone like myself, use it every day.
If the 2019 XR is updated and receives a dual camera, it’s obvious Apple will market that during the keynote, because they know that will be a selling point for that phone.
I still don't know what 3D touch is (then again I don't use iPhones), but people do care about displays. The XR is a good phone, but its screen isn't very good. Usually if I'm watching any video for more than 10 minutes, I want at least 720p if not 1080p which Verizon offers, as well as ATT, too, I believe. I can't speak for the rest of the XR. Someone on here said it best. Don't go from a 7 or 8 to an XR.
