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.

[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

[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

[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: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]

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