The Android KitKat (KK) platform was first released ~10 years ago and since then, we’ve introduced many innovative improvements and features for Android, which are unavailable on KK. As of July 2023, the active device count on KK is below 1% as more and more users update to the latest Android versions. Therefore, we are no longer supporting KK in future releases of Google Play services. KK devices will not receive versions of the Play Services APK beyond 23.30.99.
It’s time.
While I don’t particularly care that google are done with kitkat, the real problem is that android devices are so difficult to upgrade to modern operating systems. And before people say that’s not reasonable, well 10 and even 20 year old computers can still run modern operating systems, Android devices have just done a terrible job of it.
I can’t count how many times I’ve worked on embeded projects with hardware that was significantly less capable than a kitkat phone. And adding a screen to that is kind of expensive. Old android phones and tablets that are being thrown away in large quantities would be absolutely fantastic for adding capable hardware and UI to DIY project applications. Billions of these devices must end up in landfills, it’s such a shame ARM manufacturers make it so difficult to replace the operating system.
Sadly, ARM manufacturers don’t seem to be getting their game together for future generations either. In 20 years time the ARM hardware being sold today is likely to be less supported and less accessible than 64bit x86 hardware from 20 years ago. 🙁
This is also Linux’s fault. If it had a stable driver interface, even if only between major versions, upgrades wouldn’t be an issue.
Parodper,
Absolutely, While I do appreciate what linux has accomplished, their stance on unstable APIs has a direct impact on users inability to update kernels. And this has opened up my eyes to why even FOSS projects need competition. Linux having such a dominant monopoly in the form of android impedes solutions that we should be trying. And while I’m not saying linux bares the sole responsibility, this ideological stalemate does contribute to our planet’s ewaste problem.
More FOSS OS competition would have a two-fold effect:
1) alternative projects could make drivers reusable between kernels.
2) the very existence and viability of competitors would create a much stronger incentive for linux project managers to fix problems or risk loosing marketshare. This is an incentive they’ve simply lacked as a defacto monopoly and it’s dragged us down the path of perpetual vendor locking.
IMHO we desperately need competition in the OS landscape.. but few companies have the resources to make an impact in such a mature market. The only OS that seems to have a chance at the moment is fuchsia, but even that seems fuzzy and google seems extremely non-committal. So as sad as it is for operating system enthusiasts, after a decade or two we might end up with the same incumbents, no significant new competition with the same problems as today.
NetBSD has their rump kernel, but other than the Hurd it doesn’t seem to be used anywhere. *BSD in general have a lot better driver compatibility, but since they are under the BSD license we would be a lot worse off with them in the smartphone space.
How is it the fault of Linux that hardware vendors lock the boot loaders on their devices or do not release open source drivers for Cpus, etc?
chowyunpat,
It’s the fault of linux that we’re dependent on OEM kernels rather than just on OEM drivers. Nobody is saying binary OEM drivers are ideal, but being stuck on OEM kernels in addition to binary drivers is objectively worse by any rational measure and this is the fault of linux, though I realize many of us in the linux community don’t like to admit it.
So basically what you are saying is you bought a Fuchsia based device from Google and you don’t expect any issued upgrading it to latest version 10 years from now. OK. But if by any chance and ten years from now this won’t turn out to be the case. Then at least we will likely still have Linux. To install latest Linux on such device. As we have it now with Windows devices. Where the selection box for drivers is stuck on Windows XP. With Linux on the other hand the latest version works just fine.
Geck,
Straw man.
You’re talking about linux on x86 desktops, but this topic was clearly about the problems facing DIY linux users on mobile devices. For us, what you are saying is factually wrong, unfortunately.
There is other side -many Times I’ve intalled xp driver on Windows 8/10 and device worked thanks to abi stability.
Kitkat was peak Android GUI for me.