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Android Oreo was released on August 21. Adoption is at 0.5% (among devices that accessed the Play Store in early December):
Yesterday, Google released some fresh platform data explaining how many devices are running each version. Android 8.0, as you might expect, is struggling with a measly 0.5 percent share. Google's latest Pixel phones run the software, but otherwise it's hard to come by. There are some outliers, of course — the quietly impressive HTC U11, for instance — but most are still shipping with a variant of Android Nougat. Which is, well, hardly ideal for Google.
Android 7.0 and 7.1 have a combined share of 23.3 percent. Respectable, but still behind 6.0 Marshmallow (29.7 percent) and Android Lollipop (26.3 percent).
Here's an article about changes in Android 8.1.
Also at 9to5Google and Wccftech.
(Score: 3, Informative) by NotSanguine on Wednesday December 13 2017, @08:45PM (6 children)
Why would they? They'd much rather have you buy a new phone rather then spend money implementing and testing upgrades to phones for which they've already been paid.
Not to mention that the carriers don't want to deal with the hassles of software upgrades unless they have to -- if they did, people might find out that they've locked their phones down tighter than an [pick your favorite closed-minded moron]'s mind.
Most people don't even know that stuff like LineageOS (nee Cyanogenmod) [lineageos.org] is, let alone how to install it.
Google is a different story, as their main income stream is from selling targeted ads based on the results of them spying on you. So they always want you to have the latest software -- it's a great selling point compared to other vendors and Google gets to play Dick Steele [imdb.com] with your PII. Good times!
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday December 13 2017, @09:14PM (5 children)
Not true, Most manufacturers will upgrade your OS if the device is capable. At least for the first three years.
Its the carriers that drag their feet. Which is why you should never get a carrier phone ever again.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Wednesday December 13 2017, @09:26PM
That hasn't been my experience. Perhaps things have improved since the last time I purchased a phone.
But I think not, at least not for lesser hyped phones. Here's an interesting comparison [reddit.com] of software updates from various manufacturers.
Note that the time frames in the above link are for the manufacturers' *flagship* devices. I can say from experience that for non-flagship products, the time frame is shorter (in some cases, much shorter).
That said, your point about not buying from carriers is an excellent one.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday December 13 2017, @10:10PM (2 children)
Yes, for the first three years.
After three years, they will upgrade your device if they think it is NOT capable, but if they think it will result in a new sale of another phone.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by ese002 on Wednesday December 13 2017, @10:46PM
The case that I know of that is iPhone 4S. The rest abandon phones that are perfectly capable of running newer releases. None of the Android vendors reach three years of upgrades. Not even Google.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Wednesday December 13 2017, @11:25PM
Not so much [reddit.com].
Apple seems to provide support/upgrades the longest, with Microsoft and Blackberry the only only other ones that reach 3 years.
Every other manufacturer provides updates for two years or less (mostly less) for their *flagship* phones. Less hyped phones get shorter terms.
Fortunately, there's LineageOS [lineageos.org] which has broad platform support. Support is sometimes spotty as it's community driven.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Thursday December 14 2017, @12:26PM
sudo mod me up