Question for you Android folks out there - I have an 8" Samsung Galaxy Tab E and thought Version 9 is the most current Android OS. But when I go the "about device" menu, it shows I'm running Version 7.1.1? When I hit "check for updates," it tells me my system is up to date. Am I misunderstanding something? It also displays "Samsung Experience Version 8.5," if that means anything. The cartoony names that Android uses to label their operating systems only make things more confusing... I could post a screencap of my main screen(s), if that would help at all?
Also, somewhat related - when did the reply line in Android GMail change from this:
On Apr 11, 2019 2:30 PM, "John Doe" <jdoe@jondoe.com> wrote:
To this?
On Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 2:30 PM John Doe <jdoe@jondoe.com> wrote:
I've never used GMail for anything but know of many who do, hence my inquiry...
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- casinterest
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Re: Android OS History?
Just because Google has released newer versions of Android, this does not mean that Samsung or other manufacturers will pick it up for older models. Even if they do, it may take awhile to release it for their devices.
You can look up "android fragmentation" for more on this
As for the email, probably a tweak Google made.
You can look up "android fragmentation" for more on this
As for the email, probably a tweak Google made.
Re: Android OS History?
casinterest wrote:Just because Google has released newer versions of Android, this does not mean that Samsung or other manufacturers will pick it up for older models. Even if they do, it may take awhile to release it for their devices.
You can look up "android fragmentation" for more on this
I got my tablet in early-2017, if that helps at all? I could PROBABLY figure out what OS it came with then, as well.
casinterest wrote:As for the email, probably a tweak Google made.
I figured, and a tweak probably across ALL platforms...any guess as to when or in what version?
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- TheFlyingDisk
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Re: Android OS History?
Samsung Galaxy Tab E is an old model from 2015, so I'm not surprised it doesn't support the latest Android builds.
Now this is something that Apple excels in, support for older products. You can still upgrade to iOS 12 if you have an old iPad Air or an iPhone 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_E_9.6
Now this is something that Apple excels in, support for older products. You can still upgrade to iOS 12 if you have an old iPad Air or an iPhone 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_E_9.6
Re: Android OS History?
TheFlyingDisk wrote:Samsung Galaxy Tab E is an old model from 2015, so I'm not surprised it doesn't support the latest Android builds.
Mine is actually an 8", if that makes any difference... I got it in early-2017, I think? Is there some way to track which devices are compatible with which OS versions? I'm merely curious but this would still help a great deal...
TheFlyingDisk wrote:Now this is something that Apple excels in, support for older products. You can still upgrade to iOS 12 if you have an old iPad Air or an iPhone 6.
Maybe so, but this is (IMO) a double-edged sword as well. Cramming the latest/greatest/coolest/fastest of operating systems into older hardware not built for that kind of workout can lead to a whole host of problems. I didn't upgrade my iPhone 4S up from iOS 6 for YEARS in fear of this - finally, I gave into iOS 8.5 (or something like that) after losing enough functionality - battery life was crap, applications were slowing down, etc. I think I upgraded the device a year or so after that.
Re: Android OS History?
TheFlyingDisk wrote:Now this is something that Apple excels in, support for older products. You can still upgrade to iOS 12 if you have an old iPad Air or an iPhone 6.
Last major innovation in "phone tech" of the iPhone was on the iPhone 6. From 6s to X, just a camera and gaming upgrades.
Android is available on a wide range of smartphones $50 to $1000+. The low end brings smartphones to masses and high-end brings cutting edge technology. Hence the fragmentation. There are developer groups which port new versions to old hardware unofficially.
I am so deep into iOS eco-system, can't even contemplate Andriod.
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- TheFlyingDisk
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Re: Android OS History?
dtw2hyd wrote:I am so deep into iOS eco-system, can't even contemplate Andriod.
I used to be in so deep as well. But I still managed to jump into Android back in 2017.
Then my Mac conked out, so that got me truly well & out of the Apple ecosystem.
Re: Android OS History?
TheFlyingDisk wrote:dtw2hyd wrote:I am so deep into iOS eco-system, can't even contemplate Andriod.
I used to be in so deep as well. But I still managed to jump into Android back in 2017.
Then my Mac conked out, so that got me truly well & out of the Apple ecosystem.
Best of all you can customize like crazy with Android and then Google sells all your personal shit to anyone. It’s pretty awesome. Too bad they can’t sell this post.
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- TheFlyingDisk
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Re: Android OS History?
wingman wrote:Best of all you can customize like crazy with Android and then Google sells all your personal shit to anyone. It’s pretty awesome. Too bad they can’t sell this post.
And you think Apple doesn't?
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- afterburner
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Re: Android OS History?
Updates to Android OS are provided by the devices' manufacturers. I have two Android smartphones with different brands. The older one has the newer version of Android
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- ThePointblank
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Re: Android OS History?
afterburner wrote:Updates to Android OS are provided by the devices' manufacturers. I have two Android smartphones with different brands. The older one has the newer version of Android
Apple controls everything in their phones (they design their own System on Chips or SoC's, which are effectively the processor, graphics card, and modem, all on a single chip), so things like drivers are easy for them to make, and keeping supporting.
Most Android phone makers rely on a third party SoC vendor like Qualcomm, who doesn't support their SoC's after 3 years. Practically the only Android phone makers that have the ability to make their own SoC's are Samsung and Huawei, but Huawei are already very spotty with their software updates (if they even bother, and that's ignoring the ongoing security issues with Huawei devices), and Samsung would rather not, as it would cause a situation where one phone version would get longer support over another version, creating a software revision mess.
Otherwise, you could flash your Android device with a third-party ROM, such as Lineage OS, if the ROM supports your phone model.
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