Hoping to quash concerns that the Android platform has been getting pulled apart and lacking consistency, Google is reportedly going to bring the next major update to all Android devices. The move will hopefully add uniformity to the operating system that is now available on nearly 20 handsets.
When the last major update, Android 2.0, was released, there was confusion among mobile users because only some devices were compatible with the update. That only further exacerbated issues that had begun to arise: some apps on the Android Market only worked on some phones, and some apps even damaged phones on which they were never tested.
Google has apparently learned its lesson, as according to a report from mobile blog Android And Me, all Android phones will be able to upgrade to version 2.1, including the first device released in 2008, the G1. However, there are some catches.
Some phones will need to be connected to a PC to receive the update, while others can do it over-the-air. Additionally, although 2.1 will bring the ability to have live wallpapers, some phones will still not have that functionality even after the update. Finally, the biggest downturn of all, the older models (including the G1), will require a full system wipe in order to get the 2.1 firmware.
It’s been weird to see that Google almost didn’t anticipate this problem. However, when there is an open-source platform, developers are always going to tinker with it in ways that may not have been apparent from the start. Nonetheless, it has most likely been a headache for Google as its operating system continues to be less uniform. Hoepfully this 2.1 update will help eliminate these issues in the future.
