[radley]

It was more difficult to go from 2.x to 4.0. In between was 3.0 which is essentially a tablet-only showcase OS - it didn't work on phones. That made 2011-2012 seem like an eternity for devices to get back into the upgrade cycle. And by the time devices could be upgraded it was clear most of them weren't powerful enough to make the leap.

It's very different now. If you buy a standard Android smart phone (not a low end / small screen device) it will be much faster and easier to receive updates.