Your phone’s manufacturer is lying to you
Earlier this week, a two-year study of Android security updates had been circulating online. The latest research has revealed a distressing gap that smartphone manufacturers seem to be taking at releasing software patches for Android devices. The worst part is that the Android companies have been claiming that their methods are up-to-date with all the security patches. The latest report goes on to suggest that your phone’s manufacturer might be lying to you as far as the security of your Android device is concerned. The whole of last week was reportedly dominated by Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional hearings. An already ongoing Facebook privacy probe further went on to take place which ended up taking up most of the importance. However, at the same time, it is essential for users to draw attention to the fact that Android companies have been lying to them all along. Android – which is reportedly used by over 2 billion individuals around the world – lapses in user privacy and security.
“The gap between Android and its nemesis, Apple’s iOS, has always boiled down to trust,” further notes a report by The Verge. The report further claims that unlike Google, Apple does not make money by tracking the behavior of its consumers. However – at the same time, iPhone models are regularly updated with the latest set of security patches that Android smartphones lack. If you own an Apple iPhone device, then you can be confident that you are among Apple’s priority users. However, if you are on an Android device, you can’t even be sure that the security bulletins and updates you’re getting are true. This move is among the top reasons why Android is no longer perceived as being a trustworthy entity. Apart from security misrepresentations, there are a host of other problems that end up affecting the system. Take a look at the list:
VERSION UPDATES ARE SLOW
When Android companies end up introducing the software update, they are slow by nature. Since the time of Android Cupcake, the version updates are found to be slow. There’s never been a complete moment of contentment when it comes to the speed of the operating system. However, things are getting worse lately. Google released its Android 8.0 Oreo update sometime last year. Eight months later, companies like LG are still preparing to roll out software for its 2017 flagship smartphone.
PROMISES, PROMISES, ONLY PROMISES!
As is the problem with Android smartphone manufacturers, they only seem to be good at promising that they will be releasing software updates for the devices soon. However, they never do. Take, for example, Samsung – notorious for reneging on Android upgrade promises. Sony is also among those who end up promising but never really deliver. “Whenever you have so many loud voices involved — carriers and chip suppliers along with Google and device manufacturers — the outcome of their collaboration is prone to becoming exactly as haphazard and unpredictable as Android software upgrades have become,” a report by The Verge states.
NO VARIETY
It’s not like Google is not trying to make software updates available for smartphones. The search giant is actively working toward pushing its Android One initiative to assure users that they will receive updates for at least two years. However, the Android One action is only available with a limited number of smartphones. There aren’t too many Android smartphones that go on to be supported by the program. Therefore, it is not useful for one and all users.
HARDWARE UPDATE IS CHAOTIC
If you are on an Android device, you can’t even be sure that the security bulletins and updates you’re getting are true. This move is among the top reasons why Android is no longer perceived as being a trustworthy entity.
