Switch to iPhone for years of free software updates

Switch to iPhone for years of free software updates

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><a href='http://www.imore.com/switch-iphone-years-free-software-updates' title="Switch to iPhone for years of free software updates"><img src='http://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large_wm_blw/public/field/image/2015/03/galaxy-s6-iphone-6-comparison-bottom-fronts.jpg?itok=0yvSIVx1' />[/url] Last week Apple didn't just announce iOS 9, they announced that it would be coming day-and-date to every iPhone the company has shipped in the last four years. That's worth repeating. iOS 9, the latest, greatest version of Apple's mobile operating system, is scheduled to ship this fall not just on whatever new iPhone 6s Apple announces at the same time, not just on the current iPhone 6 line, and not just on the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and original iPhone 5, but also on the iPhone 4s that first launched in the fall of 2011. And it's all going to happen on the same day, on every carrier, for every customer, around the world. That's an enormous amount of added value enjoyed by iPhone owners and not only is it unmatched by Android or any other platform, it's unmatchable. It's also one of the very best reasons to switch to iPhone <blockquote class="big pull right"> iOS 8 has been installed on over 80% of all iPhones. Android Lollipop has barely made it over 12%. Right now, the iOS 8 update that shipped last September has been installed on over 80% of all iPhones. Android's Lollipop operating system, by contrast, has barely made it over 12%. Sure, that's absolutely comparing apples to oranges, and there are a variety of reasons why an operating system created by Google but requiring modification by a wide assortment of vendors like Samsung, LG, Motorola, and LG, and approval from an even wider assortment of carriers, will never equal the penetration rate of an integrated, intent company like Apple. But that's not the customer's problem. Update or update not, there is no excuse. Because, truth be told, updates are critically important. They don't just bring with them new features that make it feel like you're getting a whole new phone, but new fixes for bugs and, most importantly, security. Here's a recent example involving an exploit found for the Android Web View code, as explained by Jerry Hildenbrand of Android Central:

The real problem isn't that Google won't update Jelly Bean's WebView, but that so many devices are still running Android 4.3 and below with little prospect of being updated, regardless of whatever action Google might take. Even if Google were to issue patches for Jelly Bean's WebView code (and Ice Cream Sandwich's, and Gingerbread's), users would still be waiting on OEMs (and carriers) to push out firmware updates, just as they're waiting on Android 4.4 today. And if the manufacturers of these devices were inclined to push out updates at all, chances are they wouldn't be stuck on Android 4.3 or earlier to begin with.

Again, given Android's modular nature, that's both perfectly understandable and totally unacceptable. Apple can patch iOS, distribute it without interference from carriers, and get it on the vast majority of devices as fast as the bits can travel. They've been doing it for years. For the sake of comparison, Samsung's Galaxy S2 only officially supports Android 4.2 Jellybean, the Galaxy S3 only officially supports Android 4.3 Jellybean. It's not until the Galaxy S4, released in 2013, that we start to approach a modern operating system. According to Wikipedia:

In January 2015, Samsung began rolling out an update to Android 5.0.1 "Lollipop" in Russia and India [...] Samsung paused the rollout soon after, when users reported major bugs. The rollout continued in March 2015 starting with unlocked models in the UK, Nordic and Baltic countries and has since then spread to several other countries. US (starting with AT&T and Sprint) and Canadian Samsung Galaxy S4 models received Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update in April 2015.

And the HTC One, also from 2013, again according to Wikipedia:

Following its unveiling, HTC committed to releasing updates to Android 5.0 "Lollipop", again within 90 days of the release of its source code. Per this commitment, HTC planned to release Lollipop by the end of January 2015, but the company missed its deadline due to bugs in the operating system that needed to be addressed by Google. Android 5.0 was released for unlocked HTC One models on 6 February 2015. Android 5.0 is the final version of Android that will be made available to HTC One models with firmware serviced by HTC, as only models with firmware serviced by Google will receive Android 5.1.

The Apple equivalent from 2013 was the iPhone 5, and it got iOS 8 the same day as every other device, and it ran it well. If even the most popular Android devices and earnest venders can't do better than 12% adoption for Lollipop, when iOS 8 is sitting at over 80%, what does that tell you? This fall, iOS 9 will bring new apps, new intelligence, better privacy and security, increased performance and battery life, and much, much more. It will, once again, make everyone feel like they're getting a whole new phone. Based on past history, within a few months the vast majority of iPhone owners will be running it. At the same time, the small percentage of people anticipating the update to Android M will be wondering where it is, and the vast majority, apparently, won't even know or care. So, if it's important to you that the software running on your device be up to date, that you get all the new features and fixes as soon as they're available, and that you continue to get new features for years to come, then it should be important to you to switch to iPhone. <ul><li>iPhone 6 review</li> <li>iPhone 6 Plus review</li> <li>iPhone buyers guide</li> <li>Switch to iPhone guide</li> </ul>Updated to include quote from Jerry Hildrenbrand. </div></div></div><img width='1' height='1' src='