Google's support for older devices makes Apple's look like the Linux kernel (that is only recently dropping ISA and took until 2012 to drop the 386 processor). My four year old Pixel no longer receives security updates even though Android 13 still does. WTH? Meanwhile a iPhone 11 that I had at the same time can still get the latest iOS. What's more the security updates for previous iOS versions supports devices going back to 2015. Google doesn't even have the excuse about OEMs etc. This is their phone, bought to run on their cellular bundled service (Google Fi), purchased through them. It is 100% vertically integrated. The only word that comes to mind to me is "pathetic". #rant#Android#Apple#CyberSecurity#AppleVsGoogle9to5google.com/2023/02/06/pixe…
@hankg Sorry, but I'd just like to interject for a moment.
Android uses Linux as it's kernel, but don't forget that Linux is only a kernel.
As you've probably now realized, there is terrible, terrible confusion caused by people referring to GNU as "Linux" and one consequence is that people can't understand the difference between GNU/Linux, BusyBox/Linux, systemd/Linux and Android, although all of them have Linux in them.
The issue seems to be that Android manufacturers go and modify Linux to support the hardware and then proceed to infringe copyright law by infringing the GPLv2, by not making available the complete corresponding source code of their modifications under the same license (neither up front, or by a written offer).
As a result, updates to Linux and then by consequence the rest of Android is dependent on the manufacturer releasing updates - and really they only want to fix their dirty patches that graft a mess of proprietary software on once of twice for a few updates and then they stop and tell you to buy the next product.
There is an improved version of Android called LineageOS that provides regular updates for many devices (including all the Pixel's), but unfortunately they can't stop themselves from leaving a lot of proprietary software in that shouldn't be used and only up to a certain version of Android can be supported with devices that have proprietary drivers that depends on the ABI of a certain version of Linux.
Thankfully there's a patched version of LineageOS called Replicant which removes all the proprietary software, but unfortunately device support is limited.
@Suiseiseki Right, I was just bringing up Linux kernel as an example of a software project that supports very very old hardware compared to ditching devices in under five years. Some other commenters stated that Google has upped it to 7 years for newer Pixels. That is more reasonable. I'd still like to see all these big manufacturers support security updates for hardware going back 10 years.
There should be no limited time-frame for devices to receive security updates - you should be able to just install GNU on the device or a version of Android like Replicant and receive bug fixes updates with no end date - as really the computing community just keeps fixing bugs on an ongoing basis unless there's proprietary software preventing such updates.
If big manufacturers were to stop carrying out criminal acts such would easily be possible, but noooooo.
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