Google freezes Android P: Get your shoes on, tire-kicking devs

Re: How rapid will it get into use?

The following are obviously possible but this year a number of other devices - from Nokia, Sony, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Essential and Vivo.

This hints at the success of project Treble which should make future updates available to more phones faster. Obviously not the long tail, but more than we're used. If this works well then it could be a stick to hit the laggards (Samsung) with.

Some manufacturers are still struggling with Treble but the number of devices getting LOS 15.1 is increasing albeit slowly; the most recent unofficial build I got for my S5 klte is looking very good.

Re: How rapid will it get into use?

Do users care? I don't. All.my system apps are updates via the play store (unlike iOS), so it's really not that important to get updated. My manufacturer releases security updates, so that's ok, and typically loading updated OS on a device not designed for it generally sucks

Re: How rapid will it get into use?

Other than Samsung's flagship pricing (which is aggressively marketing itself as the arch rival of Apple), the conventional wisdom was that Android phones are cheap and disposable, so there's no point updating the software after 1-2 years as some brand new phone would be released.

In fact, with all the superfluous crap the telcos and manufacturers put into their respective 'innovative take' on Android, sometimes updating Android would cause functional and performance problems. And it's just not cost effective for the small and obscure manufacturers to roll them out.

Re: How rapid will it get into use?

Not heard of the Android backwards compatibility libraries? It's constantly updated to support latest ask features in apps for older devices.

Its of course not talked about as it doesn't fit the hidden agenda being pushed....

Re: How rapid will it get into use?

Yes, the do care about adoption, which is why they spent such a monumental effort on Treble which first appeared in Oreo.

Re: Unlike Apple?

"but unlike Apple's offering, it requires children under 13 to have a Google account."

The statement is absolutely correct. Apple devices do not require children under 13 to have a Google account.

Re: Unlike Apple?

Apple's parental controls don't need an Apple ID, they're just hidden behind a password.

More devices seem to be coming with close to the pure android experience including some HTCs and most if not all Nokia phones.

When it comes time for me to replace my Pixel 2 I will be looking at one of the pure andriod devices from someone other than Google as the prices for their phones are now too high, I only got the Pixel as I managed to get an exceptional deal on it.