Back when I had a Windows Mobile smartphone the carrier I had controlled the updates. Upgrading from winmo 6 to 6.1 took months. I think allowing carriers to control updates will negatively impact user experience.
Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
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Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#12Will the phones sold by Verizon be a different SKU?
There are some phones, the LG G4 being one I believe, which are available in unlocked SKUs that technically work on Verizon's network, but don't have access to as many cellular bands and therefore don't get as good of signal/speeds.
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#13What is update path/policy for iPhones? Do Verizon sell iPhones too? Do they control it's update too? Or iPhones gets their update directly from Apple? (I am only aware of noncontract iphones, which do get update regularly from Apple itself.) P.S. I do not live in USA. I am asking because this is huge mistake for Google. With their new branding I hoped they will deliver updates to pixel line as smooth as Chromebooks.…
And nothing will change because Google has very little control over android (they don't really own any of the important relationships which are between carrier and manufacturer) and is probably terribly afraid of antitrust issues, particularly in Europe, if they attempt to exert more control.
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#14FWIW, Verizon does extensive internal testing of OS updates. When I was there, as an engineer, we would be given phones, and anytime there was a new update, we would receive the updates first, use it daily for a couple of weeks, and report what we found. There were multiple tiers of internal user trials before the updates were greenlit, and there were many potential OS updates that never made it to public because of the problems we found.
Verizon may slow down updates to consumer devices, but I always felt like it was for good reason.
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#15What is update path/policy for iPhones? Do Verizon sell iPhones too? Do they control it's update too? Or iPhones gets their update directly from Apple? (I am only aware of noncontract iphones, which do get update regularly from Apple itself.) P.S. I do not live in USA. I am asking because this is huge mistake for Google. With their new branding I hoped they will deliver updates to pixel line as smooth as Chromebooks.…
Of course, you can just buy your pixel from Google
But I thought buying from Verizon would cost less, because of the contract.
Am I right? My point is people who will buy phone for 50$ (for example for two year contract) from Verizon will get direct update from Apple (which improves overall health of the its ecosystem), but pixel ones don't. I think this is shortcoming.
So if you want fast updates like iPhone, you have to buy noncontract from Google itself.
Do you see what is my point?
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#16Gratuitous screwing of customers aside, I'm trying to figure out what the benefit for Verizon is.
Do they get a lot of customer support calls from people who don't know how to use the phone, and need time to train the call center staff?
Or is it simply their reflexive control-freakery? Clearly they survive a lack of control from iOS.
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#17What is update path/policy for iPhones? Do Verizon sell iPhones too? Do they control it's update too? Or iPhones gets their update directly from Apple? (I am only aware of noncontract iphones, which do get update regularly from Apple itself.) P.S. I do not live in USA. I am asking because this is huge mistake for Google. With their new branding I hoped they will deliver updates to pixel line as smooth as Chromebooks.…
And nothing will change because Google has very little control over android (they don't really own any of the important relationships which are between carrier and manufacturer) and is probably terribly afraid of antitrust issues, particularly in Europe, if they attempt to exert more control.
But I thought pixel lines was best opportunity to at least fix update problem in pixel line itself. Let alone Android ecosystem which is disaster when it comes to update issues.
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#18FWIW, Verizon does extensive internal testing of OS updates. When I was there, as an engineer, we would be given phones, and anytime there was a new update, we would receive the updates first, use it daily for a couple of weeks, and report what we found. There were multiple tiers of internal user trials before the updates were greenlit, and there were many potential OS updates that never made it to public because of…
Do they do the same for Apple devices ?
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#19FWIW, Verizon does extensive internal testing of OS updates. When I was there, as an engineer, we would be given phones, and anytime there was a new update, we would receive the updates first, use it daily for a couple of weeks, and report what we found. There were multiple tiers of internal user trials before the updates were greenlit, and there were many potential OS updates that never made it to public because of…
This is fair, and a big reason I'm okay with update delays at Verizon. I trust them to block me from shoddy builds made by "fail often" companies like Google. As a business professional, I appreciate that Verizon demands reliability.
...However, people buying the Pixel are expecting direct control from Google, as part of the deal.
Verizon might benefit from taking a page from Motorola or Microsoft's book though: Allow users to opt into receiving direct updates, with the manufacturer or the user accepting the financial risk for problems encountered. Motorola phone users could sign up to be in test waves of their updates, and Microsoft, of course, has a Fast ring, a slow ring, a release preview, and of course, the official launch schedule the regular people are held to.
Note that similarly, when my Lumia Icon got Windows 10 Mobile, which Verizon doesn't currently support at all, Verizon did allow it, but basically said "it's at your own risk". And I get all my Windows Mobile updates directly from Microsoft on release.
Users should be able to accept the risk of a buggier experience to be on the latest software.
Re: Verizon will control Android updates for Google Pixel phones it sells
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course, you can just buy your pixel from Google
But I thought buying from Verizon would cost less, because of the contract. Am I right? My point is people who will buy phone for 50$ (for example for two year contract) from Verizon will get direct update from Apple (which improves overall health of the its ecosystem), but pixel ones don't. I think this is shortcoming. So if you want fast updates like iPhone, you have to buy noncontract from Google itself. Do you se…
It used to be the case that you'd get the phone subsidized by your service plan from Verizon, but not any longer. Verizon and the other major US carriers stopped subsidizing phones in the past few years.
For me the biggest reason I wanted to buy through Verizon was they were offering a promotional $200 trade in value for my Note 4. For some people selling their phone separately would be a better deal though, so even that won't matter.