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Samsung Won't Be Forced To Update Old Smartphones (bbc.com)
Samsung will not be forced to update the software on its mobile phones for years after their release, after it won a court case in the Netherlands. From a report: A consumer association had argued that Samsung should update its phones for at least four years after they go on sale. Regular software updates can address security problems but older models do not typically receive all the latest updates.
However, the court rejected the association's claims.
Samsung produces some of the world's best-selling mobile phones running Google's Android operating system. Google regularly produces software updates that address newly discovered security flaws, and offers these to phone manufacturers such as Samsung. It is often up to the phone manufacturer to distribute the update to its customers. Consumer group Consumentenbond said Samsung was not distributing updates in a "timely" manner. Samsung said it guaranteed consumers in the Netherlands would get software updates for two years after a handset first went on sale in the country. The court ruled in Samsung's favour and said the claims made by Consumentenbond were "inadmissible" because they related to "future acts."
Samsung produces some of the world's best-selling mobile phones running Google's Android operating system. Google regularly produces software updates that address newly discovered security flaws, and offers these to phone manufacturers such as Samsung. It is often up to the phone manufacturer to distribute the update to its customers. Consumer group Consumentenbond said Samsung was not distributing updates in a "timely" manner. Samsung said it guaranteed consumers in the Netherlands would get software updates for two years after a handset first went on sale in the country. The court ruled in Samsung's favour and said the claims made by Consumentenbond were "inadmissible" because they related to "future acts."
Why phones from Apple are better.
1 - Privacy
2 - Free updates for years and years after release
3 - Privacy
Will they still might be forced to offer updates. The court ruled that they can't be sued over future actions, but in a year or two they will be past actions and could be dragged back to court.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
They've actually got that update mechanism now. Sort of.
Android 8.0 includes Project Treble, which splits the low level device code and the higher level OS code, so you should be able to just drop the latest vanilla Android OS onto any device that launched with Android 8.0.
That makes it easier and cheaper for manufacturers to continue to support devices, since they can just drop their latest and greatest OS image on top of the device specific low level code. Or if they don't do it, custom ROM makers will.