By 
Is the above pro-iPhone? Probably. Is the above poignantly fitting given all the recent talk of Samsung denying updates and class action lawsuits? Absolutely. Rip me apart in the comments, but you have to admit the above bit of humor from DesignDare is at times painfully true.
[via DroidLife]
well that’s the case if you have a galaxy s phone.. but if your smart enough to root it you won’t really have that problem
so true…thank goodness for roms
Or you can root your phone and always have the latest version of Android. Or you can not buy Samsung phones if you want to stay stock.
Substitute in for “good luck”: A plethora of new options have been released and you get to choose your next phone like a kid in a candy store!
Haha, true enough. I actually blogged about the exact same issue.
I lol’ed. The real issue is that Google just sits back instead of being strict about how and when phone’s get updates. If they don’t do something soon carriers and manufacturers are going to completely destroy Android by shafting customers.
-Rooted Evo on this side tho :)
You’ve got a point, however there is an alternative choice…
Buy a Droid – November 2009
Root it…
Do whatever you want.
Done.
All moot considering you DO have the choice to root and change your ROM. I have been on Android 2.2 with my Sprint HTC Hero for months, something that Sprint would never have pushed out.
I know a lot of people say they shouldn’t have to root to get the latest update and most probably wouldn’t. But, these days, it is so easy, anyone with a little computer savvy should be able to do it.
Or buy a Nexus phone and always have the updates.
It needs a ‘You join XDA Devs’ bit
Yeah, but that new phone time line is why Apple will pretty much be playing the catch-up game from now on.
Solution: Live in Europe and buy your phone without a contract.
windows mobile fans? ha
It’s definitely true… for people who want to have the absolute best all the time. I buy what I think it best when I buy it and don’t care that it will be “old” in a couple weeks. One thing I can say about Android is, watching the phones that are coming out makes me excited at what will be available WHEN my chance to buy a new phone comes around.
Another thing to compare is, Mac releases a new OS, it makes you feel like you need to buy a new phone (3GS’s release made the 3G slower, 4’s release made the 3GS and 3G slower, so on). Google releases a new update, it makes me feel like I have a new phone.
even though, for most average consumers…thats ok.
android is PERFECT as is. like out the box.
only nerds care what version of the OS or the specific build the phone is on :P
Yea….absolutely no bias in that post at all. Those apple fanboys sure outshine us Android fanboys. We spend our time modding our devices and developing new things for the Android OS. Apple fanboys spend their time worrying about what Android is going to do next to make their device look like something made by Toys R Us. Keep on hating iPhags…..and keep rooting/jailbreaking those iPhones so you can change your wallpaper. Lulz.
People often perceive Android’s fast speed of update as a bad thing, because “my phone will be obsolete in 3 months”. But that’s not a bad thing. That just shows that Android’s has a faster progression.
Ok, assume technology can be quantified as a number. Assume iOS progresses 100 points each year (say 100 this year, and 200 next year), and assume Android progresses 25 points each quarter. One year from now, they both reach 200. But depending on the time you buy, your iOS device may soon to become 100 points behind the latest one. As for Android, your phone will only be 25 points behind at the next update.
I think the my-phone-will-be-obsolete-in-3-months psyche comes from the subconscious obligation to have the latest technology. No, the tools (phones) exist for you, not the other way around. We are not slaves to our tools. Just think about the absolute speed of progress, not whether or not you own the latest.
Roms make the customer responsible for what Google and the carriers should be responsible for. Roms are complex to install and flaky anyway. Google could insist the carriers update no matter what crap they want to put on the phone without compromising open source principles. It’s just a matter of universal hooks.
1. I’m rooted, and I will always have the latest firmware.
2. My contract allows me to upgrade my phone any time I want.
So, yeah.
what a great way to compare an Iphone to hundred other devices
Apple does updates better because they control the hardware. However in that same comparison, the Nexus One, sold directly by Google, has so far been supported with each new OS update.
I bet if Apple were to branch off and offer the IOS to support different hardware vendors and all major carriers, they would probably face the same issues.
Instead you only need to select the color and size because all iphones are alike.
To confirm your point. I ask this question 2 minutes 4:07pm January 14, 2011
Please wait for a Samsung Agent to respond.
You are now chatting with ‘Sawyer’
Sawyer: Hi, thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support. How may I help you today?
Visitor: I have a Galaxy S Epic 4G and everyone but my dead grandmother got Froyo 2.2 why i don’t have the new OS. Buy the way you are getting a bad rep of not upgrading your phones to the New OS. The blogs are ripping you a new ass hole. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Sawyer: Please allow me to go through the inquiry.
Sawyer: I understand that you like to know about the date of release of the Android 2.2 ( froyo ) for your mobile, am I right?
Visitor: HELL YEAH
Sawyer: Thank you for confirming.
Sawyer: Unfortunately there is no update available at this time for your phone model, nor is there an estimated date of one being released. We are unable to speculate when/if a software revision might be available due to the fact that this might lead to inaccurate information and confusion
Pr0tip: Do not buy phones on contract.
Its funny cause its true. Except apple usually charges for software updates.
The thing is that people can keep discovering new features that Android has, even up until they get rid of the phone.
should read,
buy android phone. If you are smart you buy a one year contract. Root said android phone and get any upgrades you want. Are people that use the iphone retarded? I’m sure the guy that made this has no clue about the capabilities of the android operating system nor does he know what open source is.
I severely dislike closed minded apple sheep.
Well, these guys don’t know HTC, and XDA neither …
this is true boot the os upgrades are only are not fully functional for prior iphones, either they slow down the phone or dont have all of the fetures, and for android when you do get your upgrade which is at times a long wait but by no means a year like the iphone big updates, you get all functions
like what ChoChoPK has to say!
Yeah one word. CyanogenMod.
I have my G1 running Android 2.2, so screw this chart it doesn’t mean much to me.
if we had a better commenting system I could actually click the like button….just sayin!
You do need to be ripped apart.
While I agree Rooting/ROMS are a great idea for keeping a Samsung Galaxy S up to date, Does anyone know of a 2.2 ROM for the SCH-i500 CDMA version? I would be eternally grateful!
@DroidDev,
“iPhags” – really?
I use a Droid X, but for many people, iOS is a better option. They don’t want to root and don’t want to deal with ROMs. They just want the latest updates for their phone.
For those people, iOS has the advantage. For those who root and install ROMs, Android has the advantage.
no update problems with Nexus One/Nexus S :D
I think all android phones should come stock and customers should have the option to install custom Manufacturer skin through a menu button. Or through the market either way that would solve the update issue while at the same time allowing manufacturers to differentiate their devices while keeping the OS open… Problem Solved. Google I hope you’re reading
-Buy an HD2
-Cope with WinMo for a while
-Get Android
-1 year contract expires (EU here)
-Look at new phones being released and the iPhone 4, think: Meh.
-Prolong contract
-Get latest Android versions, often before official Android handsets do
-Try WP7, MeeGo, etc. Think: Meh.
-Continue to meh at other devices until something truly worthy of your attention comes by, rather than keep wishing you had “the latest and greatest”.
Life is good.
Honestly, the fact that I could get an entirely new phone right now (money isn’t that much of an issue, and my contract right now can be cancelled on a per-month basis without repercussions) says enough about what a wonderful device it truly is.
Could be worse, i have a bell vibrant i9000m and they released a froyo version but every(or like 90% of them)motherboard internal sd end up dead/bricked (hardware) can’t say i am really “lucky” i did have froyo running 2 times and had to send it in. Now it is supposedly “fixed” so i am running darky’s 8.0 rom. Definately a great rom and don’t need much knowledge to install it :)
OK, I’m an android fan but having one set of hardware is not really helping apple that much the amount of bug’s I’m hearing about.
Phones resetting during calls regularly(3Gs) signal and battery problems, alarm clock regularly failing…
Thank goodness for the good people at xda and cyanogenmod
So get a Nexus or any phone supported by CM.
I bought a Droid and am always running the latest and greatest.
Yeah, this isn’t an issue as much with Google or Android as it is with the manufacturers and carriers. With the new Verizon iPhone I think we’ll see our first chink in the iPhone armor.
You see the same dichotomoy in the personal computing space as well. Apple’s been doing the same thing for years with their desktops, laptops and OS’s. When you compare it to the complexity and frequent upgrades/updates available on the Wintel side there never seems to be a good time to buy in because the changes come along so fast.
look at it this way which os between the 2 has better features? ok so since we’re goin to go with android an android with 2.1 has more features than an iphone 4…. i think so regardless of the update or not ur phone is still more up to date than other os’s
lets put it this way win 7 phones just came out, if they released updates every month and all phones were updated but these updates were so minor that they still lacked essentials that other Os’s have does that still make win 7 better because they all get upgraded?
“You can’t buy it” needs to have a “at a subsidized price” tacked on. There’s nothing prohibiting people from buying a phone that is available for sale.
“You can’t get it” doesn’t apply to all of us either. I bought a Droid that day after it was released. I still have the same one (no replacements). It has all but the latest Android version on it, stock, from the carrier.
But someone above was right… most Android device owners aren’t frothing at the mouth for the next Android version to be pushed to their device; they probably don’t even know what version is on their device now. If their device works, they’re happy; if it doesn’t work, they’re not happy. Heck – even I don’t care if I have the latest version of Android on my device. Sure, there are some features of Gingerbread that I would like to have, but I’m not distraught over it.
Everyone just face it, iOS is better when it comes to updates. I prefer Android over iOS, but i’m not going to make excuses for Android. There is absolutely no bias in this article. I actually think this article is funny and soooo true. d:
You shouldn’t have root your phone and risk bricking it to get an update.
Also, people are suggesting to get a one year contract or buy off contract, you shouldn’t have to spend more money just to get an update.
Can we just say “haha” at this and be done?
Is it just me or did anyone else realize the Android time line represents 5 years not 2 years?
Bought a Droid when it first came out. Received several SW upgrades since. It’s still a better phone than the iPhone4. Much ado about nothing.
Who cares.
Android will die now Verizon has the iPhone.
The + 200,000 android apps will stop working.
Our service will be cut by our carriers.
No more updates from Android or your carrier.
Life will end for all Android users.
(Please note the above is sarcasm) :)
Or, get CyanogeMod and give your carrier/manufacturer the finger and you get all updates and awesome features.
Yeah, that is why my Eris is running Gingerbread, and had Froyo before the Droid X.
Open-Source plus a few functioning brain cells wins.
Any update you get for your phone is a plus. Before the iPhone none of the phones used to receive any updates at all. You were stuck on whatever OS version came preloaded on your phone and not even rooting the phone you were able to install a newer OS version. I am happy that with android I can get an OS update, sometimes from the manufacturer/carrier; but if that is not the case. You can always root and install a custom ROM that will be able to keep you updated until you decide to get a new phone.
This whole post is irrelevant. If speedy updates are the most important thing to you, then buy a Nexus. Google already provided the solution.
We should not have to Root to get Update are phone ps I have EVO ROOT
Or:
Buy a Nexus without a contract, get all upgrades as soon as they are released, buy any new phone you want, whenever you want.
So true
Can’t agree, I have an Evo..my updates came in a timely fashion
sad but true
Seems to me the Atrix is setting up for the same type of failure:( If it is released in March, two months after Gingerbread was released and it is still running (2.2) Froyo with Motoblurr and webtop box that will surely slow the transition to GB. And in actuality this dual core phone is not going to reach it’s potential until it is running Honeycome. Just thinking can I live with that??
It’s time for Google to start implementing some rules for carriers and manufacturers. I know Google is all about an open system, but the user experience is suffering because of these carriers and manufacturers.
Maybe I should re-think my interest in Android.
All updates should be pushed out on the market.
funny-ish, but not true.
when I bought my SGS, it was on 2.1, now one can install 2.2… so…
?
2.2 at 1.4ghz on my vibrant, thanks
The only folk that get mad at this are those that didn’t understand Android from the jump. We KNEW and EXPECTED the strength of the OS to be all the types of.phones that could be released. Obviously that means tour phone isnt going to be top dog for long. Its only iFools that buy their hone to be cool. Nevermind if everyone else has the same thing now.
Few things they omitted in the iPhone picture:
* you upgrade to the latest OS, and your phone becomes unusable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hmNG9dVB1Y
http://techpulse360.com/2010/07/28/is-apple-making-iphone-3g-unusable-to-force-upgrade
* you upgrade to the latest OS, but your iPhone doesn’t get all the features
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_version_history
* you buy an iOS device, and you have to live with iTune on your system 24/7
yes, i think its quite true.
i just wish Google is come up with a way to separate between the OS and the UI from manufacturer, carrier, etc… That way, OS updates can still be received. maybe UI should sit on a different layer or something… i dunno but i’m sure its possible.
Half true , half false. Just go to htc.
i got froyo in middle of august.
Also i think 2.3 isnt faaraway for my desire
i gave up subsidized phones and 2 year contracts when i got my nexus one.
p.s. it’s running 2.3.
Easy enough solution. The EVO got Froyo very fast, let’s hope Gingerbread comes that fast too.
No it’s not pro-iphone but it’s pro-toolbag.
The market dynamic around Android is different. It’s given away to multiple carriers / manufacturers to modify as they wish. Of course you’ll have differences in hardware, releases and updates. It’s just the nature of the beast. Google could try to fight it but it will be a very difficult task.
Personally I have no problems with the way Android is progressing. I really wanted 2.2 for the flash but that’s mainly it. It does everything I need to do and I can bet it’s the same for the majority of cry-babies who must have Gingerbread RIGHT NOW!
IOS and the hardware it runs on the other hand are much more controlled and is done so BY ONE VERY GREEDY company. So of course updates aren’t as quick and all the hardware will support it, DUH.
Actually, it’s not true, at least for the MyTouch3G. I’ve had it under 2yr contract for nearly 2 years now, and it’s been updated a couple of times, which is pretty much the same deal as the iPhone chart.
Well I can understand frustration, perhaps it stems from the fact that iPhone fanboys have no choice but to hail iPhone, as it is that theres nothing much you can do with iPhone in terms of customization once you have purchased it.. iPhone is a phone that Steve Jobs decides how it should look and how it should work and thrust it on fanboys who happily subscribe to it for lifetime while bitching other platforms without understanding the beauty that Android has to offer.
With Android you will not always get updates, the hardware and OS both are in rapid transience.. but you always have the choice to root your phone hook on to XDA and run latest firmware.
In September I was heartbroken when HTC announced Desire HD.. my Desire was barely a week old when an upper version of phone was announced. I rooted my phone and I am running Desire HD ROM on Desire.
I am happy i dont use iPhone..
Oh and btw, Apple shouts that it makes hardware and software both so they know their devices inside out.. well really… you throw open the source code to devs and check if they can do better with it!!!
haha contracts. at least you can buy all droid without contracts so u can buy all phones anytime really.
motorola milestone rooted and running 2.2
there are a lot of people who don’t on OTA updates.
This is only true for Motorola phones with encrypted bootloaders. Outside of those phones, take out the new OS problem and all you are left with is new phones (which is how technology works, if computers came out once per year, we would be stuck with shit hardware).
Exactly what happened to me.
To those saying get a Nexus phone:
It’s been over a month and the Nexus One still doesn’t have Gingerbread!
And if you say “It’ll be different this time” you’re probably deluding your self.
(- Proud owner of the Nexus one, still waiting for Gingerbread)
You can root and update your android at any time. Change it, modify & bring it all back without having to deal with pretentious rotten fruit folks. Oh, and I can change my battery and micro SD as often as I want. I don’t bash apple, but I sure will anyone who bases android. Your so lime green jello…
*disclaimer: I am an iPhone user*
The argument that you can simply root your device and get around any of the stupid constraints your carrier places on you is very valid….for those knowledgable enough to do so. Anyone subscribing to this forum can do so with their eyes shut. However, the mainstream consumer who represents the main use populace would either a) have no idea how to do it or b) be to afraid to break their phone. So in the end, the graph is quite true.
Sigh, I still am wanting a proper Bluetooth connection without jail breaking.
Or you get a one year contract like I did. Which is about the time it’s worth upgrading. I wonder which os will be further along?
wow thats just sad im also a victim of that
damn u android still love u though
preordered the mytouch 3g (1.0)
fender came out
then 1.2 came out
then slide came out
then 4g came out
if i wanted the updrade id have to pay the full phone price of like $400-$500 like wtf im surviving on the awesomes devs over on xda but one day one day i’ll have a fast phone….well hopefully is college doesnt kill me lol
I won’t doubt the accuracy (and irony) of your timeline, but as many of the people before me have pointed out, this only applies to the “typical” user. Google allows (and in fact encourages) Android users to tinker, they make it easy to get all the updates you want if you root your phone. Also, the timeline you have is pointing out another truth: new Android devices are launched a lot more frequently than new Apple devices. How many 4G devices does Apple have? There are already several 4G Androids.
I don’t really have those problems. I bought and Evo with Sprint. I received the Froyo OTA update in under 60 days. I’m Sprint Premier so I can upgrade to a new handset after a year rather than 2 years and still get a subsidy. Although, I have yet to see a new device that would compel me to want to switch. I’m very happy with the Evo..and Sprint.
P.S. The iPhone list is biased in that it too should have “A new phone is released but you can’t buy it.” It may not be an “iPhone” but there are dozens of Androids, WP7 and feature phones released throughout the year that a contracted customer couldn’t “buy” without paying a penalty. Its kind of a null argument. We’re all familiar and accustomed to contracts and phone subsidies. If you want to switch devices that frequently, buy an unlocked phone or pay the penalty.
I also don’t get the problem with the Froyo update issue. I got my phone here in the UK on contract with Orange – Samsung Galaxy S … one day, a few months ago of course, Keis told me there was an update available so I let it … 2.2 Froyo installed without issues. And that was un-rooted.
And these minor updates are not that ground breaking so I don’t mind waiting either.
All this says is competition is bad and Steve Jobs should tell me what features I should want on my phone.
No thanks.
love this – very very true
I had the second generation my touch from T-mobile and had to wait for ever for an update. I love android but hate the wait.
Most people have no idea what version of Android they are running anyway. They just know the name of their phone and that it has Android. Most of my friends have Android phones, but if it wasn’t for me (not to toot my own horn) they would know absolutely nothing about them and they wouldn’t try to find out either.
I would venture to bet that only a small percentage of us even care to know what goes on in the Android world.
Sad but true… Still love my X though.
Humor! But oh so true. ;P Sometimes you just have to laugh. :)
Very true in both cases,which is why I’m getting a Blackberry.
This is what happened to me. I hate T-Mobile, Android and Samsung now. Once this contract is up, it’s AT&T or Verizon with the IPhone4. Sorry, no longer a Phandroid.
Lol This is too true
Its kind of sad that this is true. Yes, there IS always the option of rooting, but if you think about it the average CONSUMER would not want to resort to that point, the average geek would. Another point is that WE SHOULD NOT have to resort to rooting in order to get an OS update on our phone, thats the company’s job to do that. Im not against rooting at all, i actually love the extra features that it brings to my phone, but its not something that I should have to resort to in order to get the next update of Android.
Get a HTC.
Uh…
I’m sorry, but I don’t really see how this is a reasonable comparison. Updates are pushed to android phones by the manufacturers way faster than iphones get OS updates, and I fail to see how the existence of other phones is such a problem.
And if you really want the newest software as soon as its released, then root your phone and install a custom ROM. I’m running Cyanogen 6.2 and absolutely LOVE it.
Save some money, buy any phone you like, independently from the carrier. Update it yourself. Buy a new phone whenever you want.
Problem?
Buy iPhone 3G, upgrade to IOS4 when it comes out, throw iPhone at wall because it is now too slow to use, which is what happened to a bunch of people I work with.
For Mrrix, the Nexus One doesn’t have gingerbread yet, but I guarantee that won’t be the case by the end of the month. Google had to delay the upgrade sure to the text messaging bug.
Samsung can forget about it. Everyone who has a Samsung phone running Android will never get another Samsung phone again. More room for HTC to stretch its legs.
LMFAO at cyd!!! Nice!
I have a nexus one and i’m running MM-Gingerbread v.20. It’s amazingly fast and stable, and it’s pure GB built from AOSP. I recommend you N1 users go to xda-developers and do the same.
Remember this folks, when Android first came out Apple didn’t even blink an eye. Now they find themselves shooting for the top. This is just another form of flattery. Keep staring at our ass Crapple!
All I have to say is wait for a 4G phone and you’re set for two years, aka “Absolutely do not buy an iPhone”. If you’re thinking about the Verizon iPhone, rather wait for the HTC Thunderbolt 4G LTE or a new honeycomb buttonless Android phone. Those who know how Roots and is free to choose in the XDA candyshop. Those who do not know how to Root is better off not upgrading at all (in case something bad happens).
haha just root your phone and you’ll never have a problem.
Its the power of being Open Source. Look at Windows OS and Ubuntu. You will see something quite similar path there.
My android is not tied to any carrier, so this doesn’t apply to me. Poor americans…
This is so silly its dumb as if the idea that a company not updating its hardware but once a year somehow makes the hardware you have better.
All I have to say Android has two things going for them root and aosp I’m fine it sucked that mine was the longest to root at the time but HTC Incredible I love it. Apple who they make a phone I didn’t even know that. Jk
Let me clear this… it sucks to be a Gal S owner if you are in US… here in India… I bought it on 11/11/10 updated to Froyo on 12/12/10… and honestly… the only difference was that i did not need Vlingo (preinstalled) anymore … seriously… with Android it doesn’t even make a difference if you upgrade to to 2.2 or 2.3 or not… your apps upgrade in any case… anyone who is using Froyo will tell you… you can hardly notice the difference… sure the battery lasts 7-8 hours more… but come on… i still charge it every night…
and the best part is … I can have Dosed by RHCP as my ringtone without paying apple, and directly download torrents to my unrooted phone
why should you have to root and find an unstable rom to make up for the company denying what it should be pushing out on its own you can defend everything about android and this is an obvious flaw
This reminds me a little bit of T Mobile and their inability to provide software updates in a timely matter. For the most part they have all the best phones but when it comes to updates if people don’t push the issue, you could be waiting a long time.
Well… here is my flowchart…
– Buy a new Android Phone anytime.
– Join xDA and get the latest custom rom with latest version of all software.
– Mew phone is released in the market, you don’t care
– New version of Android is released, you already have it
What I see here is that in the same timelap, you have a lot of cohoice with Android and none with Apple.
Freedom comes with responsabilities.
The responsability of choosing between different options what is better for you, and even the opportunity to change that choice (even for a price) is part of freedom.
The lack of options is basically slavery
That is how I see that
If these root/jailbreak developers were to sell all your data you hand to them they would make a lot of money, I don’t know why you trust these people so much. Taking all of your private data and selling it to hackers around the world would pay for the dev team cost and a ferrari. And my friends that root their phones usually lose their data, have their phones stuck in sleep mode for a day, drain their batteries, and have to spend another evening re-rooting again and not recovering their data. I have an actual engineering job and don’t want to learn about the interworking of rooting in android, I don’t care I just want to use my phone already. I don’t think that’s a decent choice for the consumer. Android’s “choice” gives you the choice to never get updates, or get thrown into the web cage of death to fend for your own security while using programs made by random shady home devs. It would be nice if android had a “choice” of google just giving you a decent official secure alternative version, I think if you get a $200 phone you should have that basic choice.
lol, worst argument from a computer person ever? considering cyanogen runs on every android phone that matters, and if not there are other roms, however a decent argument if the person buying a phone knows nothing of how to work a computer. Considering rooting on a bunch of the phones is easier than jailbreaking an iphone (except when jailbreakme.com worked, but one click method is common for androids). My G1, the FIRST android device which wasn’t supported for an OS update after something like 1.5 or 1.6, was running 2.2 when i got a new phone, and is still likely supported by cyanogen which is at 2.3 (current os version).
If anything its an argument against Iphone in that you are really limited because you can only buy one phone every once in a while, and you are not given choices about what you want that phone to have, you just have to accept it for what it is. (keep in mind I am not on a contract in which i need to pay an upgrade price etc so i can upgrade whenever I want, and because I am not on a contract I also pay less monthly).
Also yea sure the iphone gives updates to the OS, but I don’t know if you remember IOS 4 on anything besides the iphone 4 ran like crap, not dissimilar from 2.2 running on my g1 except the g1 had less problems.
In conclusion here is my version of the chart.
Buy an iPhone
Jailbreak it because it sucks out of the box.
Can’t talk on it because network connectivity sucks (thank you AT&T), or because the phone keeps dropping calls (Thank you Apple for not understanding how antennae work).
Buy an Android.
or Buy an Android
use it for a bit then decide you want to explore more
root it and install cyanogen
it crashes a few times so you go back to what it is supposed to be on for stability, or keep cyanogen because you prefer your phone doing whatever you want and upgrade to a newer less crashy version, or find another rom tailored for your phone that is even less crashy and still has a lot to offer.
Buy a new android, rinse repeat.
I have an alternate suggestion:
Get a T-Mobile EvenMore+ plan, you don’t have a contract and you pay less per month AND overall than any contract plan offered by any of the Big-4.
A new Android phone comes out. Buy it if you want it.
A new version of Android come out. Root your current phone and install the upgrade, or buy a new phone, preferably a dev phone this time.
No problems!
viper and monban, once again: I don’t want to waste my freaking time being the test monkey for random shady dev jailbreaks. I want to download and use an app and that’s freaking it. The underground hacker community can have their own alternative options which works for you (or doesn’t work, then crash, then steals and loses all your data, then you have to repeat over and over). Programming is Google’s job, not mine. Options will always be out there, you can root iphones 50 ways too, but those are a huge waste of time for most people, the standard os version needs to work well on it’s own. Some people’s gps doesn’t work, their texts go to the wrong people, screens turn off, random 3 reboots in 15 minutes for google’s own nexus s, that’s basic stuff google needs to fix. Ios makes mistakes too but at least they fix it reasonably soon, google’s text thing has been around for a year, the slow iphone 3g issue was fix within a month or two. And, get this, wait for it, I don’t want to buy a new phone either. I want to get my 200 dollar value (top of the line at the time) for the phone I have now. Imagine that.
1. Research which Android phone is supported by the Devs
2. Buy the Android phone and root it right out of the box
3. ???
4. Profit!