Technology

59428 readers

3685 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

218

Is it time to question the yearly release cycle for phones? (lemmy.zip)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip to c/technology@lemmy.world

80 comments fedilink hide all child comments

So recently I've been seeing the trend where Android OEMs such as Google, Samsung, etc. have been extending their software release times up to like five, six, and seven years after device release. Clearly, phone hardware has gotten to the point where it can support software for that long, and computers have been in that stage for a very long time. From what I can tell, the only OEM that does this currently might be Fairphone.

Edit: The battery is the thing that goes the fastest so manufacturers could just offer new batteries and that would solve a lot of the problem.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

As the total number user of alternative phone OS shrinks, the development of those OS becomes less and less viable. But yes, I would see phones with mid tier specs from 3 years ago charging flagship prices to fill that the spot before it becomes entirely non-viable. I think google does need there to be the appearance of competition so they don't get hit with monopoly lawsuits, but it only needs to exist, other than that they want it as fringe and clunky as possible and I think that's where we're headed.

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

With things like GrapheneOS its literally never been easier. Plug your phone into the computer, go to their website, and press a couple of buttons and read a couple of instructions. And you now have an alternative operating system on your phone.

Edit: hell, simplifiedprivacy.com will literally do it for you and send you the device.