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I'm not sure why the writer mentions this. (It's probably an excuse to link to another Vice article.) The Android version number in itself isn't a good indication of the phone's vulnerability. Stagefright, for instance, was patched for 4.4 in many phones without an upgrade to the API.

An Android phone's security depends on whoever is responsible for maintaining the device's ROM, usually the carrier or phone manufacturer. Samsung, for instance, includes extensions intended to enhance security. Admittedly, for $10 I wouldn't expect much in the way of OTA updates. But except for a few changes to the framework in the way app permissions are handled, the version number isn't the best measure of security.

I'm having flashbacks to security vulnerability scans that have no concept of back-ported patches.

Upgrades and security fixes were recently de-coupled. Now responsible vendors do a monthly security updates, regardless of version. So if you're on the 4.x or 5.x tree you should be able to get these, OEM depending.

The problem here is that a lot of smaller OEMs will never bother. Google might put mandatory security updates into its next Gapps contract. I guess we'll see.

> the features (and change in looks/functionality) introduced in the later versions do not interest me much.

I think the advances in volta/doze/app suspend for battery life and the 6.0 privacy settings, not to mention the Material overhaul are very big benefits to Android. Android 6.0 is a much more mature OS than the 4.x tree. In fact, I'd say they only recently have reached parity with iOS at this release. I don't get many "I should switch to iphone" feelings anymore. Many of my privacy and battery life concerns were addressed in 6.0 and the 6P is amazing hardware for the price.

Who are the responsible vendors (and ultimately we're talking about carriers)? This would be at the forefront of my decision of which Android phone to buy. If only there was some sort of alliance to update Android devices reliably.

See http://androidvulnerabilities.org

Does it have a way to filter by carrier? The same phone on Verizon will really lag on updates because they're control freaks.

Officially Google still provides security patches for Android 4.4 but there is not much information on what this means in practice. How many OEMs actually make use of this and provide security patches for 4.4 devices?

(source: https://source.android.com/security/overview/updates-resourc... - "Android security team currently provides patches for Android versions 4.4 (KitKat), 5.0 (Lollipop), and 5.1 (Lollipop MR1). This list of backport-supported versions changes with each new Android release.")

Google themselves dropped the Nexus 7 v1 from security support a while ago, after having updated it to 5.1.

I am not here to sell iPhone but the number two reason I left Android (I was a Windows 5 mobile user, then Android, with a flag ship model, for ~2 years) is because you can only get the latest from custom ROMS. If Google takes customer service really seriously, Android will be amazing. I feel like Nexus is just a gimmick more than a real thing that Google cares about.

My number one reason is simply the fact iPhone is built and sold by one company. This is a plus and a minus, but in the long run, amortize cost makes that a bigger plus than a minus. My experience so far, iOS devices can live up to at least four major OS updates. That's at least 2 years. I think my iPhone 3GS lasted about 4 years before I switched to iPhone 6 (at that time the power of 3GS was simply too slow to handle map and instant messaging).

>If Google takes customer service really seriously, Thanks for that, you brightened up my morning. Google and customer service :-)

Perhaps if you are spending millions on adwords, you "might" get some customer service, but I doubt then it will be great

No need for millions. I've spent $15 on adwords once, and since them I get letters from Google twice a year, with phone numbers I can call for support and a coupon.

Have you actually used the support numbers?

No I didn't.

I assume somebody will answer if I call there, but I have no idea about service quality.

"People like this service! Hurry cancel it!"

Exactly, upgraded my Galaxy S4 to the Google edition ROM and was tired of having to hack at it every time I wanted to updated. You shouldn't have to buy phones direct from Google to get the cleanest and purest android experience.

My iPad 3 is limping along on its last leg after iOS 9 but I'm pretty sure it lacks the RAM necessary to run Safari smoothly on the newest update. Still works but not smoothly.

> You shouldn't have to buy phones direct from Google

> My iPad 3

You do realize that you've undermined your point here right?

I wanted a Samsung phone but a pure Android experience. Not all those Samsung and AT&T mods. Shouldn't have to buy a phone direct from Google to get that.

Apple is a hardware company Google is not.

> I wanted a Samsung phone but a pure Android experience

That's Samsung's fault.

> Shouldn't have to buy a phone direct from Google to get that.

Oh, I completely agree, but Samsung doesn't want to simply provide OEM Android because they think that the add-ons distinguish them in a crowded market.

> Apple is a hardware company Google is not.

But Apple's limited hardware offering is why they can guarantee you such a pure Apple experience. The equivalent exists in the Google ecosystem. It's buying one of the phones directly from the Google Play store. The only difference is that in the Apple ecosystem there isn't choice, so you don't get to see better hardware spec'd phones that run IOS, while in the Android ecosystem you do.

> If Google takes customer service really seriously, Android will be amazing

And if weather turned for the cold, it will freeze in Hell!

For a lot of people, having "newer" software isn't really a goal in itself. I'd rather have the "second to latest" version of Android than the "latest" version of iOS.

I think Google cares about the Nexus line but to me it seems like they aren't doing what Microsoft is doing with the Surface line (forcing quality via unbridled competition). Nexus seems more like a prod towards the "right way" since it's a partnership with manufacturers.

You get a similar experience with the Nexus devices... I'm currently using a OnePlus One, which hasn't been bad, but considering switching to a Nexus 5X mainly so I can switch carriers to Verizon.

I used my Nexus 4 for over 2 years and it received regular updates (5.x lagged a little though). Also, the Nexus devices are pretty well supported via CyanogenMod.

Beyond that, the Motorola phones since Google bought and sold off mobility have been well received as well, the Pure line should see updates for at least 2 years.

If you stay away from Samsung, LG, and other vendors trying to get you to upgrade every year and favor those not tethering to a specific carrier's upgrade model, you'll have better luck.

So different are experiences. I still like my 4 yr old Galaxy Nexus running 4.3 better than my wifes iPhone 6 plus. Never felt the need to update.

KitKat wear is vulnerable to hackers? :/ I recently morphed our current project to target KitKat. Perhaps I should do some research on this.

Frankly i would have gone with 4.3 over 4.4, as the latter is when Google decided to go heavy handed on file system access.

I'm ignorant to all the diffs between android versions, is there a succinct place to read about it

Less so about features and more so about semi-subjective statements like "heavy handed FS access"

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/02/17/external-blues-googl...

> went through the trouble to look in Russian forums for custom ROMs for it

Why not just build the Android OS yourself and upload it?

Have you ever actually tried doing this?

Drivers, drivers, drivers.

Even with a Nexus device this is far from straightforward. With a $10 walmart phone I doubt even Wifi would work properly-- let alone GPS, bluetooth or cellular data service.