A Month with the Pixel C

    The Pixel C is one of Google's unloved devices, but should it be? Read my one-month review here.

An Opinion on Android Software Updates

   “When is my phone getting the next version of Android?” This is a question that is on many of our minds and in much of our search history at various times of the year. In fact, most of the time, most Android users do not have the latest version of Android on their device. This has always been one of the biggest complaints with the Android platform, and there's no reason to expect this to change any time soon. But who's to blame for all the frustration that comes from this? Google? OEMs? Wireless carriers? What if the source of all this frustration comes from us?

   Now before you instantly grab the nearest sharp or blunt instrument and start attacking me about how wrong I am, keep one thing in mind: I know that what I said sounds ridiculous. We, as the consumers, are the ones being withheld a deserved update. It's not our choice to hold our perfectly good devices back and let them fall behind in the Android world. We don't make the next-gen device and completely forget about our current device. I agree with all of this. I've felt the same way since my Droid Eris.

   But why does all this anger and frustration come with these ideas? When I try to come with a real, justifiable answer, I end up at a loss. The way I see it, we have no valid reason for getting mad at OEMs or wireless carriers when they decide to not update our devices. Take, for example, the AT&T or Verizon 2nd Gen Moto X. As much as I agree that those phones deserve an update, did Motorola, AT&T or Verizon ever state that this device will be upgraded to the next version of Android? How about the long list of Asus devices that, as far as we know, have no talk of getting updates to Marshmallow, even though a device like the ZenPad S 8 was released in August of 2015? When we purchased these devices, did they come with guaranteed software updates? Most likely, no. Did the specs sheet say for OS: Android 5.0 (6.0 to come)? I’ve never seen that.

   The truth is that our devices do exactly what we were promised they would do from day one. All the features and specs that drew us to our phones or tablets will still be there if we never get a single software update. In fact, the only time a manufacturer or carrier could be obligated to provide an update is if something doesn’t work as advertised, there’s a security flaw, or some function of the device cannot be used as promised. Aside from that, we really can’t say that we aren’t getting what we paid for.

   It’s true, we assume that a new phone should be getting new versions of Android for at least a year after it’s released. But this is, in actuality, an unrealistic expectation. Yes, we see Apple releasing software updates to older models, and we see older Nexus devices getting updates. Other Android devices are always getting updates, too. But keep in mind that Apple is not Android. The platform is completely different. What they do simply cannot be done in the Android ecosystem. Nexus devices get updates regularly. But Google has publicly stated on their support pages for the world to read what their update policy is. They provide us with a minimum guaranteed update period, namely, 18 from when the device is no longer for sale on the Google Store. If you buy a Nexus, then you HAVE been promised software updates, and Google IS obligated to deliver.

   But does Motorola have a written promise about updating all of their devices to the latest version of Android? What about HTC? Samsung? No. Only after they release an announcement about specific models getting an Android update do the OEMs become obligated. Otherwise, they don’t owe us anything. Yes, history shows that most devices get at least one major update. But there’s no legal precedent here, and there’s nothing to hold against the OEMs or carriers. They stated what the OS version was of the device when they released it, they listed all of its features, and we made an informed purchase based on that information. That's the whole story, really.

   Is this fair? I don’t think it is. We invest good money into these devices, and plan to keep them for some considerable time. Periodic updates should be part of the deal. But they’re not. We should know this going in.

   So what does this mean for us? Be happy with the devices that we have at the moment. Remember what we liked about them that moved us to buy them. And remember that being one-upped by a newer device is the nature of technology. It will always happen. Don’t buy a device because you are banking on a software update coming soon, and that will make it your dream device. It’s a bad investment. I’ve learned that the hard way. It’s like buying a crowd-funded phone. It’s something that technically doesn’t exist, yet you’ve paid for it.

   If you want to always be at the head of the Android pack, wielding the newest sweet treat coming out of Google’s kitchen, then buy a Nexus. It’s the only Android device in the US that actually comes with a software update guarantee of 18 months, and 3 years of security updates, guaranteed. If you don’t want a Nexus because your sights are set on some other device, then buy that one, and remember why you bought it when the next Android OS comes out and your phone never gets the update.

   Or, because the smartphone industry knows this is the case, make use of one of the many buy-back, or trade-up, programs that OEMs and carriers offer. These programs are here because OEMs and carriers know we want the newest and best, and they know they aren’t obligated to provide that for free.

   Life is compromise, and the Android world is built on compromise; it thrives and grows on it. Apple is build on conformity, but you get updates. I prefer Android’s way, even if that means my phone may be stuck on 5.0. There’s too many things going on in each of our lives for us to waste time and energy flooding the internet with anger and frustration because we want an update that we were never promised. Love the (ph)one you’re with.

   But, of course, this is all just my opinion.

Can I Give Motorola Credit?

I know that most don't care about these types of tings, but I sometimes get amazed at how products today are designed, whether for good or for bad. This time, it's for good. Now, I don't own this phone, nor have I ever touched it. Frankly, I do not like Motorola. I generally am always disappointed with what they make. But this time, in one way, I want to give them credit.


When it comes to technology today, the average consumer wants it all; a hot dog with the works, you could say... As far as smartphones and tablets and laptops go, they want them big, bright, fast, powerful, lightweight and innovative. But they also want them to work great, with not one flaw, and they want them to have great battery life. Now this is generally viewed as the ideal product, but achieving this is difficult. The bigger the device, the more power it needs to run. The brighter the screen, the more power it needs to light up. The faster the download speeds, the more power it needs to connect. Battery life is the price paid for innovative features. It's a design rule to date. Until batteries reach a new level in technology, this cannot be avoided.


Motorola, though saw this and worked out a solution. They saw the Droid Razr, this giant device that they had made, apparently realized that the device is huge anyway, and they stuffed a giant 3300 mAh battery in the housing. That is practically twice as big as any other smartphone's stock battery today. It doesn't make the device much heavier and the device is still thinner than others on the market. Everyone wants a big phone today, so if you are making a big phone, fill it with a big battery, right? Motorola did that with the Razr Maxx.

Now, I am not saying that this is a good phone, and I am definitely not telling anyone to buy it. I am just saying that this was a very simple and smart move on the designers' part. It deserves recognition.

In the Beginning...

My first blog post... ever. Does this mean that I'm behind in the times?