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Buy a Nexus device. Google will officially release updates for 2-3 years. After than, enthusiasts will release ROMs with updates for a few more years. Plus, it's trivial to unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery, which are prerequisites to installing updates after official support ends. There are very few Android phones out there that are friendly to your desire.
I've found that popular phone models tend to have more custom roms and developers for them. When shopping, I tend to go for models that are hip at the time. Example - I have an HTC Evo 3D, Samsung 10.1, Samsung S3, Samsung Note 3, Nexus 6P. The HTC doesn't have a lot of development for it, specifically because it wasn't that popular at the time (i thought it would be). The Note 3 has loads because it's available across all carriers and it was a flagship phone at the time. Also apparently pens were cool.
On XDA Dev, communities form around the specific make and model, so even though their locked down pretty hard, Samsung devices have a pretty large user-base.
What is the make and model of phone that you're using?
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Do Android resellers really not provide even security patches to these phones? I had thought that while the newer version of the OS wasn't necessarily available for all devices security patches would be provided for older OS versions. Are these phones really only usable for the 18 month contract time then playtime for hackers?
It's uncommon for a provider to do any kind of security update past the first year of the device's life. Most of the time, development resources are put to the next big shiny.
It's playtime for 'hackers' from day 1. Everyone is working on figuring out the latest and greatest way to do this or that on the newest phone. Resources concentrate forward, not backward. All resources. Hackers included.
My advice, don't aggravate anyone who might have the ability to ruin your life.
Since you don't know who's who and the internet is.. the internet, it kind of amounts to -- well, just be nice to people and hope for the best.
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Hmm, that being the case Android phones are just useless, extremely overpriced trash? A device which is designed to be open to all comers within 18 months and, generally, sold on an 18 month contract sounds almost like a criminal enterprise to me.
Android does seem to have faults. I bought an Iphone and found it to be way more expensive and less easy to use.
You can in most cases upgrade the OS on an android phone. It is not impossible. It is unlikely that any common home user would have the skills to do it if the carrier doesn't offer it or the OEM doesn't offer it.
You could try http://www.cyanogenmod.org/ They have worked miracles on devices for a number of years. Their focus has shifted over the years and now are mainly an android to phone group.
Anyone is free to try to compile Android from sources. The only limit is the ability to flash or dual boot and supply drivers.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jefro
Android does seem to have faults. I bought an Iphone and found it to be way more expensive and less easy to use.
Do iPhones cost more though? I'm a lot more likely to buy an Android device but my experience with an iPad I was given was that the OS was supported for around 3 years and, it seems, that support periods of that kind of period are standard. If an Android device is, pretty much, on a deprecated OS within around a year of launch then that makes them cost a lot more than Apple devices.
I'm sorry, I know I'm being a bit awkward with this but at some point I will have to ditch my current Blackberry and if I'm going to have to pay around £300 a year to make sure I've an up-to-date Android device I think I might as well go with Apple and an OS I hate.
Hmm, that being the case Android phones are just useless, extremely overpriced trash? A device which is designed to be open to all comers within 18 months and, generally, sold on an 18 month contract sounds almost like a criminal enterprise to me.
You don't have to buy on an 18 month contract. Actually you'll probably have difficulty in the UK finding many phones on such a contract because the carriers have largely gone to 24 months. (That only makes it worse, I know.)
Most people wander around with phones which have exploitable bugs from a combination of
they don't care, or possibly have given up on dong the right thing
the manufacturers don't care enough, or have a conflicting interest
the carriers don't care enough, or have a conflicting interest
the sellers don't care enough, or have a conflicting interest
Not ideal
I am anything but an Apple fanboi, but they do this better.
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Originally Posted by salasi
You don't have to buy on an 18 month contract. Actually you'll probably have difficulty in the UK finding many phones on such a contract because the carriers have largely gone to 24 months. (That only makes it worse, I know.)
Most people wander around with phones which have exploitable bugs from a combination of
they don't care, or possibly have given up on dong the right thing
the manufacturers don't care enough, or have a conflicting interest
the carriers don't care enough, or have a conflicting interest
the sellers don't care enough, or have a conflicting interest
Not ideal
I am anything but an Apple fanboi, but they do this better.
I won't pay for a contract phone as I'm not about to agree to pay any company more than a month in advance for a mobile phone so anything I do buy will be bought outright. I realise that my old Blackberry may well have vulnerabilities but I haven't read of any yet and while security through obscurity isn't ideal it's another layer to it.
There's no way I can see myself buying a product for ~£300 (upwards of $400 for Americans) that the manufacturer leaves intentionally vulnerable within the first year of purchase -- and that's what I seem to be reading everywhere about Android devices.
Yes, I know, like my Blackberry they've security through obscurity and taking precautions but surely I'm not the only one looking at this situation and thinking it's almost criminal negligence?
If you buy something and don't choose to do something about the security of that product, then it's not the responsibility of the manufacturer to provide you with that hand-holding measure, much less free upgrades and development time. That kind of labor costs money.
By the way -- Chuu chuu. This conversation has gone little off the rails.
I am tired of having an outdated android operating system and having to buy a new phone every time a new version of android is out. It is not practical and a waste of good money.
Is there a way I can upgrade my android phone myself and how?
I am currently using kit kat 4.4.2. I want to upgrade to a lollipop or marshmallow if possible. Thanks
this is a good sight for rooting and gettting ROMS to flash and mostly find out if your andriod is supported if it is then it is a great sight to get really good ports for your Android Phone if it is supported, it has a search to see if it is in this sight.
On that kindel I posted just above BW-userx's#27 I've only got some of the many rom's suppose to work (tho many experimental\nightly's some "stable's" too,) it also took many tries to root before I got Flashify (for root users) working. But, helps if people flock to that hardware like I'm hearing nexus or of course Geeksphones?
Last edited by jamison20000e; 12-18-2015 at 08:59 PM.
On that kindel I posted just above BW-userx's#27 I've only got some of the many rom's suppose to work (tho many experimental\nightly's some "stable's" too,) it also took many tries to root before I got Flashify (for root users) working. But, helps if people flock to that hardware like I'm hearing nexus or of course Geeksphones?
that's the beef of it isn't it?
Some will work and some will not, but does it have to do with software that is not completely open source or is it the hardware that is locked down or a little bit of both? Either way the people that do this.
that try to get it to work on all types of devices because the people that "own" them do not really own the rights to it. The user even though he or she pays up the wazZoo more times then not for the device, it is still not really theirs to do whatever to it, they do not have full control over that device.
I have not played around in this toy box in a few years, but when I did, I was lucky, I had had gotten a Andriod that was supported rather nicely back then. I am sure more phones and devices are supported now in there, because they have been around longer now.
still it is a shot in the dark with this, because they have to be hacked more then not. therefore, it is best to read up on what device you have and are looking to mod before doing so. On both sides of the fence,not only how to root it, and burn a different ROM into it, But the other side is more important in my option. What to do to fix it if you Fk it up. Can it be fixed, and how eaisly if yes?
what software is there out there that will help you unbrick it if that happens? window, linux, or MAC OX supported Software, which one?
that is the more important side of it, can I ifx it and how easy is it to fix it if I mess it up? do I have the right OS for what is out there that will help me fix it if I mess it up?
...
But the other side is more important in my option. What to do to fix it if you Fk it up. Can it be fixed, and how eaisly if yes?
what software is there out there that will help you unbrick it if that happens? window, linux, or MAC OX supported Software, which one?
that is the more important side of it, can I ifx it and how easy is it to fix it if I mess it up? do I have the right OS for what is out there that will help me fix it if I mess it up?
Extremely good points; you'd get sick of playing with a brick, know I have.
Like anything-anywhere back up as much as possible, first, foremost!
Well documented "hacks" are best, got lucky with this kindel from a rummage, more so because it's popular... (a burrow of rabbits: http://www.tekify.co.uk/ ) ...
Comming up: I've had an original Pi for sometime now, always thought build my own fone:
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