cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21184378
The longevity of Android updates has always been a problem, but one that’s been getting better with time. Google has, behind the scenes, introduced some big changes for Android manufacturers that will make it easier for more Android phones to offer support for up to 7 years, just like Pixel.
This again???
DECOUPLE THE OPERATING SYSTEM FROM THE HARDWARE THE WAY PCS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO THEY CAN BE UPGRADED IN PERPETUITY UNTIL THE HARDWARE ISN’T POWERFUL ENOUGH ANYMORE.
The problem is (and has always been) SoC kernel support.
Yes, which is intentionally being stonewalled by manufacturers who enjoy being able to force their old models into obsolescence at their whim. There are only a handful of market players with essentially a stranglehold on the market, and they could EASILY coordinate on a set of standards that SoC developers need to conform to to be considered for product launches if we didn’t live in a corporate driven techno-dystopia.
Qualcomm product toolchains have been a right mess. Oddly less malicious and more, “we move too fast and branch too many platforms,” historically making long-term maintenance a nightmare.
Good to see them improving that, finally.
Everything mobile manufacturers have done since smartphones finally became popular in 2007 seemed like temporary solutions due to moving so fast. It’s clear now that it was all an attempt to paradigm-shift compute into leased property.
It really needs to end, along with the terrible disposable hardware designs. Even if we were not in a climate crisis, it is about as bad as the US was in the 1950s throwing trash everywhere.
On some level, especially now, want to find an alarm clock or an mp3 player or even a camera? It’s getting harder and harder. Old phones with their battery removed or replaced are perfect for those roles.
Google’s getting credits for Android being a platform without walls since 2008, but it was almost never possible to jump the fences for the layperson.
When I look back at the last 15 years, I feel nothing but we got conned by the biggest Advertising company disguised as a tech company, to trust they will hold their users in front of their profits, or keep any of their promises.
Swappable batteries too plz.
Those will be required in the EU by 2027
Holy shit really?!? That’s the main reason most people think their phone is “going bad!” That will be wonderful for sustainability.
Yeah I loved the old days when my phone would get bricked from being in my pocket during a light rain
The Samsung Galaxy S5 mini has a IP67 rating and a removable battery.
It’s possible to produce water resistant phones with removable Batterien, but manufacturers would rather sell new phones instead of batteries.
Given that phones are hardly changing from year to year, that’s probably a lot easier for them to do now.
It’s not that they can’t, it’s that they won’t.
Better late than never?
There is always a catch lol
They probably make relatively more from services / data than the hardware now.
Might also be a reaction to the younger crowd getting dumb phones instead of the next smart phone. Or at least some of them. Met a couple and its wild. Cant imagine without a smart phone, but its apparently a thing.
I wonder what percentage of buyers are jumping ship outside the android space as users become less enthusiastic about purchasing a phone every two years or so. It may be irksome seeing their device getting fewer updates when the an iPhone from 2017(maybe 18?) still got a major iOS update this past year.
That’s a very good point. Only the pixel line realistically gets updated years after buying the phone. Wish the fair phone was available for a decent price.
You and me both brother. I’ve been purchasing slightly older devices second hand lately. While I can’t maintain these devices myself, I can save a phone from entering the landfill while saving a chunk of cash.
