http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/time-for-google-to-take-control-of-the-android-update-process/664?tag=nl.e550 I completely agree with this article. The biggest problem with Android right now is that a lot of the phones are either slow to get updates or never get them at all, which makes them worthless unless you plan to root them and install roms. Moreover, I think the OS should be uniform across phones, and free of crapware. Android perpetually feels like it's in a beta state because so many phones have horrible implementations of the OS. It's sad that phone manufacturers are allowed to fuck things up so badly, because stock Android is a pretty good OS. I think they could take more control while leaving the market open to developers and the OS open to the mod community. Google needs to get its shit together, or it's never going to be able to compete with Apple and Microsoft in the long run.
I agree. There are now three layers to Android. Google Hardware Manufacturer Wireless Company It makes it a giant mess of bloat-ware, that feels like untested beta. It actually makes the iPhone more appealing, I think. A phone is not like a PC, people want/NEED their phones to work without bugs from minute one. Not waiting for patches/upgrades which are perpetually delayed and sometimes outright cancelled, leaving people screwed.
I would have to say all tech junkies with android phones would agree. Joe schmoe doesn't know any better though. I had a friend with a samsung moment that was still on android 1.5.. good god. The only answer right now is to get a nexus phone, but even that is looking kind of bleak. Nexus S came out in mid December? Nexus One still has yet to get the 2.3 OTA update. Google letting people do as they please with android was good stuff but it's also what shot them in the foot. Too many UI overlays and underpowered phones in the market.
I was really hoping my Nexus One would be on 2.3 by now. Problem is if they start enforcing upgrades we will end up with the Apple situation where iOS 4 ended up causing a lot of trouble for users with older phones.