Android has had its fair share of problems, but the biggest gripe users have voiced is the lack of OS updates.  While some users enjoy the luxury of Android 2.2 FroYo, some have been plagued with 1.5 Cupcake for the rest of eternity.  We’ve all been there, we see the latest version of our favorite OS (Android) be released, but we are still a millenia away from receiving the update to our phone.  What’s up with that?

Google’s openness has allowed carriers and manufacturers to do absolutely anything they want to Google’s software, for free.   Manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, and LG, just to name a few, have taken Android and made it their own. Essentially, Android is the OS that is suppose to define individuality as opposed to Apple, who thrives off of the ‘every phone is identical’ train. Some may say, Apple has it right because even though every phone is exactly identical, every phone is rewarded any major update immediately.  Neither carriers nor manufacturers get in the way.

With fragmentation, tons of areas are affected.  For instance, a certain app that runs on the EVO 4G will not run on the Motorola Cliq because of that .1 OS update difference.  Anyone switching over from an iPhone will cry bloody murder when they realize their phone has been “forgotten.” You see, anyone would think it’s Google’s responsibility to update every phone, but it’s really not.  HTC has Sense; Sense is a very popular UI, user-interface, that has been featured on today’s most prominent phones. The EVO 4G, Droid Incredible, Desire Z, and more feature this massive UI overhaul which gives users an even deeper mobile experience with Android.  Google’s job is to release a stable, completely clean version of Android for the masses to enjoy.  HTC has made it their job to take that beautiful, clean version of Android and turn it into something more. With more power, comes more responsibility.  HTC can’t just put the Google’s version of FroYo over their version of Eclair Sense and call it a day.  Many tweaks and changes have been made that need to be addressed.  So,  HTC has to take whatever they have thus far and add whatever changes Google has made and integrate them.  It’s a never ending cycle of delayed updates and confusion.

Now, picture this exact same scenario with every other phone that has a custom UI on it.  Android has vowed to eliminate the need for custom UIs once their Honeycomb, 3.X, OS update is released but things aren’t looking too bright.  Acer is releasing a series of tablets and a phone that will run Honeycomb paired up with Acer UI 4.5.  This leads to the question – Will it be the same for every other manufacturer?

Who knows, maybe we’re looking at this with too much resentment and maybe we’re not really appreciating what this really means.  The diversity, the individuality that screams out every time we hear Android mentioned is immediately abandoned because we feel abandoned.

The fact remaining is that the fragmentation is the real problem.  The Galaxy S series of phones have barely been updated with FroYo, something the Nexus One officially got almost 7 months ago.  Changes need to be made in order for Android to continue growing.  Eventually, users are going to get tired of waiting and are going to go for something else.  When that day comes, will it be too late?

The Future

Google really needs to rethink some things. Although Android isn’t going anywhere for a long time, there are still some roadblocks that have to be fixed if any major grounds want to be broken. Fragmentation is one of them. In my humble opinion, Android 4.0 needs to be something totally new.  Any phone released prior to the release of 4.0, that can’t support 4.0, should be a thing in the past.  The iPhone has taking this approach with iOS 2.4. They’ve cut-off support to the iPhone 2G, 3G; iPod 1G and 2G. We have yet to see how this could work out for them but, in my opinion, this is a genius idea.

Not only will this be a fresh start for Android, but it will definitely appease most people.  Android needs to make it clear that when 4.0 will be released, phones with 3.x or lower,  can’t run 4.0 well and don’t have a custom UI, and will therefore be cut off.  Any phone with 3.x or lower that has a custom UI will be history.  It’ll be a fresh start for something revolutionary.  Maybe the option for a manufacturer’s UI should asked at first boot?  ”Hello, Welcome to your HTC Awesome with Android 4.0. Would you like to continue with Sense or without Sense?”  Sense will update through the HTC Marketplace and any update Android pushes will still install onto your device without having to wait for HTC. In a perfect world, we’d achieve such results. Maybe the world we’re hoping for is closer than we may think.

What do you, the users, think? Any ideas? Anything Google is just missing that will make Android an unstoppable beast? Leave your comments below!