Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab Won't Get Android 4.0

bonch writes "Samsung has announced that the Galaxy S smartphone, which sold 10 million last year, and the Galaxy Tab tablet won't be receiving the Android 4.0 update, known as 'Ice Cream Sandwich.' Samsung claims the devices lack enough RAM and ROM to run Android 4.0 alongside TouchWiz and other custom 'experience-enhancing' software. Note that the Galaxy S runs the same hardware as the Nexus S, which is already receiving the Android 4.0 update."

Comments

No *official* port.

[sethstorm]

Unless there is an effort to actively block the porting of 4.0 to these devices, there is likely to be an unofficial port.

Re:No *official* port.

[Grave]

CyanogenMod 9 will almost certainly make it to most of the Galaxy S/Tab devices that have CM7 support. The main problem is that there is not enough storage space to have ICS with Touchwiz--on a custom/AOSP ROM, that's a non-issue.

Re:No *official* port.

[dhart]

Have you been paying attention? Google controls Android branding and access to the App Market. If Google wishes to put sensible conditions on Android distributors they can do so. Why they haven't done this is anyone's best guess.

Re:No *official* port.

[shellbeach]

The correct answer is then to drop touchwiz. I really wish google would demand that these frontends be nothing more than an apk if you want to use their trademarks.

Unfortunately, I suspect that the ability for companies to "brand" their phone OSes is the secret to Android's success. Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc, all feel that they can add in some unique special sauce that makes consumers flock to their brands. (They're wrong, of course; but marketing dudes are a bit strange in the head sometimes ...) There's probably a lot of pressure on Google from hardware manufacturers to preserve this "freedom".

Customers, OTOH, could always choose a Nexus phone if they cared about it; not only do you get the pure AOSP experience, but you also get the guaranteed permanent ability to unlock the bootloader and gain root access out of the box. Having personally moved to a Nexus S after an HTC Desire, there's no way I'd ever go with any phone other than a Nexus again.

That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[wisebabo]

Sorry to be a downer but lets face it, once Samsung or another hardware manufacturer collects your money, you're on your own.

That's a big reason why iOS device owners have ALWAYS ranked their satisfaction much higher than Droid users.

Sorry but that's the truth.

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[h4rr4r]

So you get updates a tiny bit longer but lose out on a bunch of other stuff. Life is full of tradeoffs. I certainly would not be satisfied with such a device.

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[nahdude812]

Apple does the same thing, except they let you upgrade the core OS version number, you just don't get access to the hottest new wizbang features. For example, Siri won't run on stock iPhone 4 phones even though hackers have proven it's not a hardware restriction.

If you buy Google's flagship devices, they get the OS updates without the handset manufacturers being able to drag their feet to prompt you to buy new instead of upgrade existing.

In cases like the original Galaxy Tab from Samsung, this seems like it's false advertising. When they released this device running Gingerbread, they promised it would get a Honeycomb makeover. When Google was tight-fisted with Honeycomb source saying, "Wait for ICS," Samsung said they'd stick it out for ICS instead. However now that ICS is out, they're going back on their word and apparently OS updates for that brand of tablet are now dead at two versions behind.

This is the reason I've stopped buying Samsung hardware, I can't trust them to honor their word about when they'll upgrade the devices since they often promise to and rarely do. Otherwise I'd own a Galaxy Tab 10.1, it's a pretty slick device; I just don't want a dead-end path on upgrades. I plan to get the Asus Transformer Prime instead when it becomes available (glad I waited, Prime is much better).

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[Anonymous Coward]

The first generation iPod touch was released over 4 years ago.

The Galaxy S is 1.5 years old, and is still sold in many countries, or was until very recently.

Great comparison you got there.

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[h4rr4r]

The ability to run the software I want not what someone else wants. I can replace stock apps, I can and have upgraded the OS without official support. I can also get GPLed software on my phone.

If you want to let someone else control your computing devices that is up to you. To each their own.

Nice trollish response though. Pretty pathetic for someone old enough to have a 6 digit uid.

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[the linux geek]

You can run software you want on iPhone OS. Does the name Cydia ring any bells?

There have been plenty of locked-down, market-only Android devices too, by the way. Motorola Backflip and other early AT&T Android devices are proud members of that club.

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[CrackedButter]

What has anybody done to the source in a meaningful way, other than offer versions of Android for phones it wasn't intended for?

What has anybody done with so much freedom that can make somebody sit back and say 'holy shit I better get myself an android phone, those Apple ones can't do that'!

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[h4rr4r]

You can't really believe that. Siri is limited to iPhone4S to sell that phone. Apple loves to claim their devices get updates for so long, but has shown they are no better than anyone else. They will still withhold software to sell hardware. They may let you install it on older phones, once they are sure they got all the sales they will get from it.

Re:That's a big reason why I don't buy Android

[517714]

A limited upgrade is better than being told to go pound sand so they are not the same. Also, there is a hardware reason - its Apples servers, you know, the ones that do Siri's legwork? If Apple had made Siri available to all iPhones Siri would have been slow and dull with the servers overloaded. I think you will see Siri rolled down to those other phones once Apple's new server farm goes on line.

If you buy Google's flagship devices you can also expect to pay as much or more as the highest priced iPhone and have less (albeit removable) memory.

Hasbro isn't going to let Asus use the name, "Android Prime".

Re:In other words ...

[DrGamez]

Every time I see the word sheeple I honestly cannot take the person seriously. I understand it's a fun and descriptive word but it's embarrassing to use is it not? Might as well call them dummy poo-poo heads.

Samsung are being shortsighted here

[bogaboga]

I just do not understand how companies like Samsung expect that any publicity from such a move would be positive? I mean, how?

What that would have done is to engage services of folks like these, who churn out credible software. These folks would do all the heavy lifting for a what is pocket change to Samsung.

Samsung, please be serious.

Re:They are right

[dingen]

However, you can really, really feel the fact that the phone only has 512 MB of RAM

I know it's 2011 and the world has moved on since the dark ages of the Commodore 64 and everything, but still a quote like this makes me feel profoundly sad inside.

Phone should last as long as contract

[devleopard]

The idea that a carrier can lock me into a device that at some point be a second class citizen while I'm still locked in is unreasonable. Of course, you can still use the device as originally advertised, but that's not the point.

What if Dell or Apple sold you a computer today that couldn't support an OS upgrade in 12 months? (Granted, they don't subsidize but I suspect that in 12-18 months you've hit the break-even on the phone)

Remember that the iPhone 3GS, release 2 1/2 years ago, will run iOS 5.0.

Will never again buy Samsung

[geek]

I just ditched my Epic 4G for an iPhone for this exact reason. I was able to root my Epic and put 4.0 on it myself just fine but Samsung refuses to push out software themselves. I will never again buy another Samsung product (I know Apple uses their parts, doesn't matter).

At least my iPhone will get some friggin updates from time to time and not come pre-loaded with CIQ. I was a diehard Android fan but the fragmentation and piss poor support of the handset developers has pushed me over to Apple. Enough is enough with this shit.

Google, Samsung, HTC, Motorola have all fucked their customers enough at this point that I can't imagine a situation in which I would ever hand over my money for one of their products again.

Re:Galaxy S i9000 Got Two Full OS updates

[CharlyFoxtrot]

If you say so. I don't follow Android as closely because I don't own an Android phone but the stories I've heard tell a different story. Like Samsung skipping updates (link in dutch, sorry) for the Galaxy S2 in my country (Belgium.) The fact that you getting an upgrade can depend on what country you're in or what carrier you're on at all points to a messed up system IMHO.

Free software is nice but you pay (in time spent) by doing the support yourself. Can be nice if you're so inclined but if I'm going to drop a couple hundred euros on a phone that company better not rely on me doing that.

Re:Galaxy S i9000 Got Two Full OS updates

[CharlyFoxtrot]

It's a security issue now that these things are basically networked computers that are up and connected 100% of the time.

Why? Should make you happy

[Sycraft-fu]

It is wonderful that technology has progressed so fast. Memory/storage is still the one area that amazes me, despite keeping up on things. My favourite visual example is a tiny little SDHC card sitting next to a VHS tape. The SDHC card holds around the same amount of video as a T-180 VHS tape (about 3 hours) but is full HD, and just minuscule by comparison. In my lifetime we have gone from those massive tapes to that tiny card for home recording. It is a wonderful advance in storage.

So I think it is great that phones have tons of RAM, and use it. Gives us nice, pretty, graphical interfaces with all kinds of features. There is a reason things like the C64 operated from a real basic interface: You didn't want more of the memory being used by the OS than had to, there wasn't much of it. Now we can spend memory on nice things.

All these advances make for a better computing experience. Another one that has happened in my lifetime with regards to media, and also multi-tasking, related to MP3s. I remember in 1995-1996 when I first became aware of MP3s and started messing with them. My system could only handle full 44.1khz stereo playback of MP3s if I dropped to DOS and used Cubic Player. It took 100% of my 486's resources to handle that. In Windows, the overhead from the OS and task switching was too much, I had to drop the playback rate. Now? I can play them using less than 1% of one core in my computer. They are something I can do in the background anytime without thinking about it.

It's progress, and it is great.