[hugh]

Informative Google Docs spreadsheet created by a Mobile Syrup reader may be of interest to members doing some research for a new phone.

The spreadsheet lists 53 Android devices in Canada for sale with the bulk of devices running Android 2.1 (breakdown below)

• Android 1.5 - 7 devices
• Android 1.6 - 7 Devices
• Android 2.1 -31 devices
• Android 2.2 - 8 devices

The spreadsheet gives a list of all the devices by carrier and whether an upgrade has been committed.

 

[Larry]

Great info - thanks Hugh.

This is one factor that is stopping me from choosing an Android phone - the lack of commitment of the carriers to provide s/w upgrades.

With iPhones - you always can get the upgrade.

 

[recneps77]

You can take that into your own hands with the nexus one.
Updates come straight from google, cut out the carrier.

Unfortunately, you won't get your "free" phone this way..

 

[DavidT]

You cannot rely on the carriers for pushing out updates.

The absolute first thing you should do when you purchase an Android phone is root it. The developer community is amazing with Android, and they tend to have OS updates out for phones long before either the manufacturer or the carrier do.

It would be nice if you didn't have to rely on the community, but until Google starts putting restrictions on carrier and manufacturer modifications, you don't have much choice. They make more money this way. Why provide an upgrade for an existing device when you can get people to buy a newer device with the newer software?

In the meanwhile, the community is doing a fantastic job of sticking it to them.

Luckily, this will supposedly be fixed with Android 3.0. Any manufacturer and carrier mods to the OS will have to be "overlayed" rather than deeply integrated into the OS, meaning Google will be able to push updates directly to all phones.

 

[TorontoColin]

That's only a rumour, unfortunately. Google has yet to announce anything official on that topic or anything official on Android 3.0

 

[JamesK]

My Nexus One is currently updating to Android 2.3

 

[DavidT]

2.3 hasn't been released yet.

It's probably 2.2.1

 

[taxtwit]

My Nexus One is currently updating to Android 2.3

I got a "system update" message this a.m. Kinda weird, it said there'd be two updates, with the first to follow the second. I left the phone for 10 minutes or so and when I got back, it looked as if the updating was done, so I'm not sure I got one or both. However, I'm still showing 2.2.1 as android version #, so no gingerbread yet

 

[JamesK]

^^^^
Yes, I noticed the same thing. It was just an update for 2.2.1, even though I already had 2.2.1.

Maybe they're holding off on gingerbread until Christmas. ;-)

 

[recneps77]

Yeah I got the 2.2.1 (part 2?) update like 3 days ago (you guys are slow! )

I was excited, only to see it reboot and still be 2.2.1