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-   -   Android Thread: Phones / Apps / Mods (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/83859-android-thread-phones-apps-mods-1562.html)

This is an interesting perspective from the author.

However I think that the statement that 'no one wants the latest OS' is not true at all.
I believe all end users would want the latest OS (with all the bug fixes and security updates) provided there is something in it for them - it could be performance or stability or battery life or some new useful 'smart' feature.

Not many would like to buy a phone just for the newest shiny operating system - and this is a problem Android ecosystem has not been able to solve - as rightly pointed by that article.

Users like me who can tinker around a bit, are few and far in between. So, I can keep updating to the latest Android on a 2013 model - just because some developers are supporting the model.
However 'developer support' isn't a buying criteria for 99% of the users.

Google is releasing security updates each month.
However, manufacturers have no motivation to keep software updated -
it is cheaper for them to design a new device instead.


Components such as batteries for older models are not easily available 2-3 years after the model is discontinued rending the devices practically unusable.
At this rate, we are producing more e-waste than we can manage.

Not just wattage: it would have to state Quick Charge 3.0 Compatible (or should that be certified?). For better or for worse, this is proprietary thing.

I have a powered USB-2.0 hub which is is said to feature high-power charging (made by "Plugable." It does charge the X Play (Quick Charge 2.0) much faster that the supplied, or other ordinary, chargers, but it does not trigger the "Turbo Charge Connected" message, or charge that fast.

The Ampere app tells what's going on.

I am sold to the black leather. Thanks for pointing me there.
It is a LG 5V 3A charger. I checked the Ampere app reading again. For a while it was showing 19xx mA and 17xx mA, but later dropped to 4xx mA. Maybe the app is not showing the right values. I will check with some other app.
I'll be damned. I didn't find any adapter in my box. There is no mention about it in their website either.

@S_U_N; I think you missed the information that only 9% of Android phones are running Marshmallow, i.e. the majority do not care or cannot be bothered. On the other hand 84% of the Apple world was on the latest iOS. I do not know whether 9% includes the variants and derivatives like CM, MIUI, etc.

IMHO, most of the android users actually do not bother about the OS version, etc. I say this based on my experience of various such buying discussions in my family and friend circle, etc. I know it is a small sample set but then the average smartphone user in India is more bothered about price, hardware, etc. than the OS version. And I guess this is why Samsung made such inroads into the Indian market by introducing phones in the mid -low price range. HTC, one of the early android adopters, was considered expensive at that time and hence could not really get much mind share. And I still feel that the HTC sense at that point was one of the best UI customizations on android.

And I guess this practice of creating custom UI by manufacturers has also contributed to such low uptake of new versions. Users are less exposed to stock android experience and hence are not able to really appreciate the differences in various android versions. Android UI underwent a considerable change when Ice cream sandwich was launched. For e.g.,one of the biggest pain points till then, dialer, was sorted out and there was no need for a third party app and one could use it straight out of the box.

The nexus line of devices is one way to showcase the pure android experience but its also slowly moving into the high spec high price segment. Nexus 4 and 5 were the last of the range which had appropriate specs and a price to match them.

It may very well happen that this fragmentation might irk some users making them switch to iOS, etc. A situation similar to Linux in some ways.

9% are running Marshmallow doesn't necessarily mean that others don't care. Most manufacturers have customized versions of android running on their phones and they don't provide updates to older phones. If updates to marshmallow were available to all users, I'm sure many would update.

But sir, there is a catch to it. Android as a whole is a different story altogether from iOS, which is ultimately a proprietary platform where Apple exercises far better control. And being a very oft-used infotainment-oriented product, it runs the risk of becoming stagnant really fast, at least for the active user.
IMHO, looking at such Android/iOS update ratios is a way of conveniently favoring Apple by the media (I refrain from using the word 'fanboyism' here). They try to say, 'Apple's software is up-to-date on X% of devices, Google's software is not on a tenth that. So look how far ahead Apple is.' (Hence Apple too like to show such stats often in their WWDC events).
But we all know the truth that Android as it reaches most of the consumer is not Google's software as such at all. Only the Play Services really remain the 'Google' part, which are updated regularly anyway.
Rather, we should compare %'s of Nexus devices to iDevices running the latest software - which is only fair - where I reckon a very different result would be seen.
The interesting bit here is that the fragmentation which is a weakness of the Android ecosystem is also in another perspective the diversity, its main selling point. So while Google love to point out to us 'Be together, not the same', it appears they are not all that keen on bringing us together either. (Remember, they sold Motorola to strengthen ties with Samsung.)
It surely does. In fact, I'd like to believe CyanogenMod would make up a sizeable chunk of the 9% active devices. The number of available OEM devices running the latest Android is very thin just after launch. Many flagship users do not bother to update. It is then the enthusiast community that helps keep the flame alive.

All the above discussion makes me think that Android is a stable platform, and most of us do not really care. If the vendor provide an update then we download it and install, else cannot be bothered. The high percentage of iOS may be due to the updates being offered off the air to all users. As that is a totally proprietary platform it is easier to offer upgrades. I had highlighted the 9% v 84% from the article just to contradict S_U_Ns point that most of us are on Marshmallow, and the 84% was just a contrary figure.

Upgraded my One Plus last week & my Father's BB Priv yesterday to Marshmallow.

On the One plus the text function has finally stabilised, earlier feeding an input in the 'To' field was next to impossible.

On the Priv, battery up time has visibly improved.

Phone : Samsung S7562
Rooted, using Link2SD

Problems:
1) Gallery app does not open
2) When I connect the phone to the laptop, and navigate to the Pictures album (under DCIM), Explorer says no files found ..

need to solve both problems .. Help, pls !

After I moved from stable ROM to developer ROM, my redmi note 3 is very good. No lag , no heating issue, camera has been improved. It's total value for money now :)

Planning to gift the Moto X Play 32GB to my better half. Looking for a mid range phone under 20K and am leaning towards the pure android experience now after years of using MIUI and CM. Anyone running Android M on the X Play? Feedback please.

The other contenders are the the One Plus X as well as the One Plus One. I know they are not stock android but given that fact that these are tried and tested dual sim phones, I wouldn't mind picking up one of these.

Since a few days after I got it, so I can't easily do a L/M comparison. I think the big thing with M is doze: your battery charge will last longer.

I've also rooted, run a different launcher, added Layers and Xposed Framework, so, apart from the 6.0 rom, there is not that much left on my phone that is pure off-the-moto-shelf.

I have been with X Play with M for quite some time. I did not bother to check the battery status after the update though. But overall experience seems better compared to L. On the whole, I am quite satisfied with the phone. Good specs with stock Android. Camera is quite good too. But I am not a heavy user.

By heavy user I mean constantly on whatsapp, social media etc. Also though I keep all the radios of the phone ON, but am close to a wifi hotspot most of the time during the day. Battery lasts a day. But I take ample precautions to be close to a charger. Apart from social media, I also use to the phone to listen to audio books while on the walk. Hence need that battery level. In the car there is a charger, hence it works out.


Another point to note: Its worth buying the turbo power charger (or QC2.0 compatible chargers). They really help.

Thanks Thad & Ampere. Does the X Play 32GB version support both dual sim & additional memory card? Asking as that’s the current configuration being used and want to continue using the same.