[skrowl]

The people who point out "90% of Apple iPhone users are on the latest OS version! Android sucks because not everyone is on the latest OS!" don't realize (or care) that Apple just bundles up a bunch of userland components and calls it an OS update. Nearly everything but the kernel is auto-updated to the latest version on all Android devices, even if they're several OS versions behind.

The discussion should be around "What is it that people without the latest hardware / OS version can't do?" not "What number does your phone say under OS version?"

[barumrho]

Nearly everything but the kernel is auto-updated to the latest version on all Android devices, even if they're several OS versions behind.

This benefits users, but not developers. Developers still need to code and test against old API levels.

[nopayne]

This is only partially true. Google has started distributing some APIs automatic updates as well via Google Play Services.

http://developer.android.com/google/play-services/index.html

These features are made available on older releases of Android.

[millstone]

If almost everything is auto-updated, why do developers need to test against old API levels? Wouldn't the frameworks be updated as well? Or are the frameworks covered by the "nearly" qualifier?

[skrowl]

The overblown problems that the Apple-zealot bloggers are always bringing up are 100% user issues, not to do with developers.

[ladzoppelin]

Wait some bugs are security issues and cant be patched unless a full upgrade is performed so no the discussion is how do we keep people protected when they cannot upgrade the phone. I apologize if I am missing something but it my understanding Android relies on the carriers to push the updates, correct?

[ZeroGravitas]

Also "latest version" in iOS means roughly yearly, but roughly twice-yearly for Android.