Reply to post: Re: Solution?

Re: Solution?

I'd guess that it's politics that stops it, not any technical reason.

Actually, I think the issue is not politics, but the polar opposite nature of hardware manufacture compared to software. Hardware makers aren't bad at software, they are utterly, utterly appalling. Look at the garbage-ware bundled with most Android phones by their makers. Looking at the often rudimentary software that car makers provide. Even in the heart of the tech sector, look at Intel's IME screwup. IMHO, the reason they are so keen to avoid updating older devices is two fold - first that if a device becomes obsolete, they reckon they'll sell another and its that hardware making that drives their profit. Second, they're simply no good at software, and what limited competence they have has to be deployed on the currently on-sale devices.

Whilst at a reasonable price paying for your upgrade sounds very convincing, what makes you think that it would be a reasonable price? Look at the map upgrade pricing for many car satnavs to see the utter rip off that the makers charge, because they know that your main alternative option is to go without. A relative was recently quoted £700 to update the maps on an elderly Lexus. And it isn't just the maps - Skoda want something like £180 just to enable Displaylink on my car stereo, even though all hardware and software is already installed. And officially they won't enable the rear nearside foglight at any price, even though it is a software setting, and enabled on higher trim models.

So imagine you're Samsung, and somebody says "lets charge to upgrade the S7 to Android 7/O". You work out what you think the market will pay, and then you charge that. Most people won't bother, many will just upgrade to the next flagship, so it is subset of people quite keen to have that upgrade. I'd reckon that they'd never do it for the reasons above, IF they did it, then in their shoes I'd be charging a minimum £50-60 - I might even only offer that with a battery replacement refurb service, and charge £180. Would you really pay those sorts of price?