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.
It’s not that they can’t, it’s that they won’t.
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.
Swappable batteries too plz.
Those will be required in the EU by 2027
Given that phones are hardly changing from year to year, that’s probably a lot easier for them to do now.
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.
