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Google can say all they want. There's an ocean of difference between "There shouldn't be much difficulty in porting the device drivers" and "every manufacturer will put out updates so you are sure to run the latest system".
Android is a very different beast in terms of how the device makers look at it. While Android takes obvious queues from iOS feature wise, the device makers look at it from the device point of view. Like all device makers, have done for so many years. You want the new features? You buy the new model. Why would they put effort in releasing something that will compromise sales of their new devices?
I simply don't buy from manufacturers who don't release timely updates. After owning a Motorola Backflip, and before that the first Samsung Galaxy (i7500), both stuck on 1.5; I learned to only buy from device makers who prove they can support their devices. If customers weren't all self-destructive morons, the free market people seem to love so much would sort this out. Samsung learned that lesson from fan outrage over the i7500. Motorola did not. One can only hope being bought by Google will mean Motorola will improve in this regard.




Member since:
2008-04-10
Most Google people I'm following on G+ say most Gingerbread devices should be capable of an ICS upgrade. That implies to me they haven't changed enough of the kernel to render the old device drivers incompatible, so the third party ROM makers shouldn't have nearly as much trouble porting ICS to Gingerbread phones as they've had porting Donut, Eclair and Froyo to Cupcake devices.