It is one of the most consistent sources of frustration every mobile user, and especially system administrators who already have smart phones which can provide access to the company: the patch policies of the various leveranaciers that use Android as a mobile OS. Or let’s say the lack of a patch policy and security strategy. It is far indeed a mess. Now Samsung promises a monthly security update, but it is unclear whether the supplier can maintain
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Problem is simple but complex
The problem with Android is actually quite simple, but this still complex: no one claims ownership. Android is as announced by Google, and there is not the problem with the fix security vulnerabilities in Android, except that they apparently by Google’s developers previously been overlooked, but although relevant that aside. The problem is then to him how the various smartphone providers deal with it.
Because each vendor has its own peculiarities added and Android, including Samsung and Xiaomi, and thus must first thoroughly test a new update of the different models there can work with – or even continue to function. And not only that, also some devices by telcos provide its own small taste, with the new patch can also cause problems. The result: a new round of testing
Updates do not override
In addition to these technical rollercoaster also it depends further on where the priorities lie with the suppliers.. Some dare not even a promise to do to their Android smartphones regularly provide the critical security updates, such as HTC, because the company already feels that it is unable to make such a promise. See inter alia the following tweet from the big boss of the company. It’s much too difficult, with all the added junk on Android, so let the user solve it yourself.
@ bkerensahtc 1. Because commitment to this is not realistic. In order to push an update you have to get carrier approval
[& amp;]. Mdash [/& amp;] Jason Mackenzie (JasonMacHTC) October 3, 2015
And we are not talking agree on all those cheapo Android phones from lesser known or white-labeled suppliers, as many Chinese brands vague. Who just selling hardware to target and give guarantee to the factory gate.
But the problem, of course, goes much further. If you look at what Android versions now still be used (figures from October 5, 2015), this problem is immediately apparent. KitKat (4.4) Lollipop (5.0) together have just over 54 percent. we tackle Lollipop 1.5 there it will be 62 percent. This means that 38 percent already over the second-to-last version, because we are already at 6.0 Marsmallow.
A source of misery so that will not be solved even with new patch policy. Indeed, devices now hit the shelves have too often pre-installed older versions of Android and the user needs only to figure out how he wants to deal with it after the purchase
When Google grabs once firmly. ?
The main question seems to be more: when will Google and its Android customers agree to a uniform strategy on how it is handled by the operating system? Not only that security updates are concerned, but also on the extent to which users of the devices are treated after the purchase – with new versions and also with an incentive to old devices to replace hardware that these new Android versions will actually handle <. /> p>
The current situation is sometimes reminiscent of the way users remained too long in their Windows XP addiction and systematically refused to automatically download security patches (and install it).
Two decades we have not come further sting in the way we interact with operating systems. That makes sad.
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