Based on materials from androidauthority.com
As you know, if you cannot live without the latest version Android on your smartphone, your choice is devices from the Google Pixel line. Historically, other smartphone manufacturers cannot rely on Android in this regard. However, some of them are more consistent than others in security updates and new versions. All of this confuses buyers who are counting on long-term support for the devices they buy.
Now, within the Project Treble, which is supported by key flagships on Android, in theory, updates should come to users faster than ever. And now, five months have passed since the release of Android Pie. And what does the data say? Do they confirm Google's optimism about the speed of updates?
Let's look at the numbers
The data on the graph shows the time between the release date of the version Android and the first reliable report that the manufacturer's unlocked devices received an update worldwide. The list included devices announced long before the presentation of the updated version Android, so there will be a complete picture before your eyes. The list includes Samsung's Galaxy S lines, Huawei P and G from LG.
On average, the Nougat version took about 192 days to get to the key models, the Oreo version was slightly faster: it took it about 170 days. The update to Android Pie was much faster, with an average of only 118 days between a version release by Google and the first significant manufacturer update. And this is a significant progress, although we are still waiting for updates from LG and HTC, which could spoil the picture and increase this value again.
Most manufacturers have now accelerated the release of updates for their devices, but somewhat slowed down. Huawei, Samsung and Xiaomi were noticeably faster this time, updating key devices by the end of 2018. OnePlus and Sony did it especially quickly, but they were already ahead of the rest in terms of updating their devices. Unfortunately, Motorola has been releasing updates for its flagship Z series at a slower pace over the past few years.
One more note. This data does not include updates by manufacturers of older devices or mid-range smartphones. These categories naturally receive updates noticeably slower than flagships from major manufacturers. However, the situation seems to have improved for some manufacturers with the release of Android Pie.
Treble and Android One work
If you look at enough articles on smartphone updates, two key trends emerge. First, Project Treble has helped update Oreo smartphones from major manufacturers much faster than before. And second: Android One allows more users to receive updates much faster.
But back to our data. You may notice that Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi have cut the time it takes to release an update by almost half between Nougat and Pie, making the biggest leap in the latest update. All three manufacturers have updated their flagships prior to 2019, while in prior years they have postponed updates until the end of the first or second quarter of next year.
This is important because these are the phones from the companies that sell the most smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 8 are used by a huge number of people, and most of them will now work on the Pie version. Unfortunately, Google's prevalence figures do not yet include Android 9.0, but a much faster distribution of the latest OS can be expected for this reason.
Apart from high-priced flagships, many budget smartphones are already running Android Pie. Basically these are models based on Android One, including phones from Nokia and Xiaomi. Interestingly, LG already has an update to 9.0 Pie for the LG G7 One, while the regular LG G7 ThinQ is still awaiting a worldwide update. Also HTC U11 Life received the Pie version before the flagship HTC U12 Plus.
The reason Google's initiative is delivering updates so quickly is because devices on Android One are running a clean OS. There are no custom skins, programs and applications that need to be updated and tested for compatibility, unlike devices with more complex functionality from Samsung and others. Combined with Treble, which simplifies the set of drivers, it becomes easier and faster for manufacturers to deliver an update from Google to their devices.
The problem is still not resolved
The number of key updates to version Android of Pie that have already taken place shows a good picture for Google. However, the gap between the fastest and slowest vendors in terms of updates is still wide, and we obviously would like to see it disappear. Not to mention mid-range devices and older devices, which are still often forgotten very quickly. In an ideal world, we would like to see all smartphones receive updates for more than two years.
The real test for Android will be the next major OS update. Will manufacturers be able to provide consistent security updates and key OS updates? Will last year's devices receive support at the same rate? And will Treble finally end the long history of fragmentation Android?