Hacker News Reader

Comment by billpg | Hacker News Reader

"But phones will remain vulnerable until they're updated with the latest software patch."

So never then.

This is the number one problem I have with Android. Once I buy an Android phone I pretty much expect 6 months of updates. Maybe longer if it is a really big bug. Sure some OEMs have made "promises" to provide 2 years of updates but that updates don't come out all that quickly, often several months after it hits the main AOSP line.

If you want an iOS like experience with Android you have to buy a Nexus phone of which the Nexus 6 sucked balls due to its size.

I wish Google hadn't killed the Play Edition phones. I would love a choice of phones running stock Android, maybe with a few extra, optional, apps from the OEM similar to what Motorola does. A Galaxy S6 running stock Android with a guarantee of update within 2 weeks of it hitting a Nexus would be my perfect phone.

What is it with Android that it can't work the way Windows updates work?

Amount of hardware is same as in any laptop. Is Android missing some driver framework or what?

Yeah, Linux in general doesn't have a driver "framework", it has kernel modules, and the in-kernel API is not stable, by design - the position is that keeping a stable API is extra complexity if you want to continue improving the kernel.

If you're a driver developer, there are essentially three options: (1) submit the driver to the kernel tree, in which case (if it gets accepted) the developer making the API change will update your module, (2) keep pulling the kernel tree locally and update the module yourself and (3) simply stick with a kernel version.

Here's the official explanation: http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.g...

There is a new Nexus 5 being shown on Sept. 29th, it looks to be a pretty good phone. I have a Nexus 5 and I already got the update they spoke of.

Is that the one with the cancerous growth top-back?

Just select your brand based on their ability to update phones for a couple of years past purchase. Nexus phones are kept up to date. Motorolla too. LG seems to be on that track, but History will tell. Samsung also pledged to update for two years.

Or just don't buy phones with an OS that the OS developer can't actually patch. Buying Android is buying poor security.

That is false. As long as the OS is updated, it does not matter whether it is the OS developer, or the equipment manufacturer, publishing the update.

I wonder, if Apple delegated OS update publishing onto third parties, if you'd keep your position. The Jobs distortion field extends beyond the grave, it seems.

the problem is not just the brands. the telcos block updates for phones for stupid stupid reasons.

Nexus phones get security updates every few weeks now. I know I got one this month and one in August on nexus 5. Apparently Samsung said they'll do the same - not sure if they did.

The same comment appeared regarding Stagefright as well. It has no place on a site like HN, and is just people repeating cheap comments.

http://www.androidcentral.com/list-devices-stagefright-patch...

The vendors and carriers are getting pretty good about this, and the bulk of popular devices get patches surprisingly quickly.

No updates on my Samsung and Asus devices for the last months.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com