This is the single biggest defficiency between Android and iOS in my view.

I have an Android Motorolla Milestone (Canada/Telus) which is nearly identical to the USA's Droid. We waited well over a year after the Droids got the 2.3 update before we saw one for Milestones. Europe and the rest of the world also waited. Some of my friends gave up, rooted their phones and then installed alternative (hacked) updates. When the Milestone/Telus variant was finally ready, I had to make many attemps to conect to the (single?) Motorolla server via my PC to get the download. Months later, an associate ended up with a bricked Milestone phone as a result of the upgrade process (he was not happy).


The issue is that we are at the mercy of each Andriod hardware manufacturer AND the cell operator for EACH model of phone as to when they can get around to releasing the updates made available by Google. Although my phone is now only 2 years old, I just know that Motorolla will not supply any further updates (they make more money on selling new phones than applying updates for free to old ones). Unlike the US, Canadian cell companies have 3 year data contracts at almost double the cost that US clients pay.


Some suggestions...
* Motorolla - stop locking down phones, buy some more servers and hire some coders!
* Telus - stop 'value adding' to the OS...it just slows down Motorolla's attempts
to provide updates. Also stop locking-in phones to your network (very tacky)
* Google - establish tighter implementation standards for the phone manufacturers.
This would allow you to allow clients to $BUY$ and download updates directly
via a PC or the Marketplace.