How future proof are the current Android flagship phones?

[mizzou]

The real limitation on Android is how long you get access to OS updates. There simply isn't an Android phone that will be as supported as long as the 4S has been.

This.

I love android, but after 1-2 years, you will be ignored on OS updates even if your phone can handle it.

Some manufacturers are better then others. I've owned HTC, Motorola, and now Samsung. They will all eventually cheap your phone out of the update pool well before Apple would.

I'm curious how long apple keeps this up though, I feel like they are coming out with new Iphones rather quickly and are starting to make more variety in models.

 

[jhu]

The real limitation on Android is how long you get access to OS updates. There simply isn't an Android phone that will be as supported as long as the 4S has been.

OTOH, once Apple stops supporting a phone, that's it. With some Android devices, the community can provide updates and security patches. Someone was able to port CM12 to the 4 y/o Galaxy S2. As an SGS2 owner, this is pretty interesting, but I've since moved on to Nexus 4 and then to HTC One M8. Until Android moves completely 64-bit, the community will continue supporting these devices.

 

[grissom]

Yes, community support is key, which means choosing a phone that is somewhat maintainable and that has sold/will sell to a lot of people.

I am looking around because my Nexus 4 died, and I decided to sell my warranty replacement. I bought it because I thought it would be great for updates, but the official updates were buggy, and the introduction of Google Services updates via the Play Store made the timeliness of updates less important (getting them some time is still important).

In the end, I couldn't deal with the battery life.

I don't game on my phone, so I am thinking I would like to pick up a quad core A53 (for the 64 bit-ness and ARMv8 instructions including AES encrytion acceleration) with 2GB RAM, LTE, 16GB flash plus SD card support, a decent camera (including low-light), decent noise cancellation on calls, and a removable battery.

None exist.

The Huawei Ascend G7 comes close, but is a bit bulky (5.5" screen), and the battery is non-removable, although large at 3,000 mAh, and in-call noise isn't great. I'm not sure it will sell all that well either, so developer support is questionable.

I have pre-ordered the Saygus V², which looks great on paper, but it lacks a 64-bit SoC and is expensive after tax in the UK. I may cancel, depending on whether I see a review before it is due to ship.

Also interested in the Asus Zenfone 2, but have concerns over how supportable that will be, given it has to rely on proprietary code translation to handle apps written in C.

I had hoped the Moto G (2015) LTE edition would be on A53s, but Motorola/Lenovo have stuck with Snapdragon 400, which is crazy.

So I don't like anything really in terms of longevity. In those circumstances, it's better just to cheap out on a transitional phone.

Oh, I would like dual SIM dual active as well, but I have lost hope of getting that along with everything else.

Edit: Been coming here for over fifteen years, but I forgot my password and my sign-up email is dead now.

 

[poofyhairguy]

OTOH, once Apple stops supporting a phone, that's it. With some Android devices, the community can provide updates and security patches. Someone was able to port CM12 to the 4 y/o Galaxy S2. As an SGS2 owner, this is pretty interesting, but I've since moved on to Nexus 4 and then to HTC One M8. Until Android moves completely 64-bit, the community will continue supporting these devices.

Honestly as I get older the less I care about CM builds. I had the S2 and CM for it was a complete mixed bag -despite good community support the driver support was low. That meant the GPU or camera or the gps or SOMETHING didn't give you all it could on the stock ROM. I hate having my primary compute device being buggy.

Nowadays I only pick phones that offer supported AOSP Roms, which means Moto, Nexus or GPe. When they get past support I swappa flip for another phone with real AOSP support and a good stable stock ROM. A Nexus stock ROM is on another planet of stability compared to CM Roms, even on "official" devices. The entire CM philosophy of fill the bullet points on features and let someone else test it means a good chunk of those cool cm features, again even on official devices like the OneplusOne, have some bugs.

Life is too short to deal with ROM bugs.

 

[dawheat]

*update* Picked up a used HTC M8 with the dot case on craigslist last night and haven't been able to put it down. However the dot case is a total gimmick and I hate the flap cover. Will be looking for a regular case.

Anything running a Snapdragon 800 or better (and 2GB+ RAM) will be set for awhile. Probably the Core 2 Duo of smartphones if I've ever seen one. (basically, once mid and low end catch up, we'll be at this level of performance for awhile)

Good choice OP and agree with the above statement. Any of the flagships from 2014 with the S800+ with a 1080p screen (or better) is going to keep you well for a good long while. Performance is quite good and there was a big jump in battery life with last year's generation.

Get a phone with an unlocked bootloader so that in another year or so, if your OEM stops support you can install a custom ROM. I think it's pretty safe to say that most flagship phones with unlocked bootloaders will get 3rd party support for at least several years (though amount may vary significantly). And with things like TWRP, if you can download a file and click a button, you can install a custom ROM. It's harder to install software on a PC.

And for all the flak Samsung gets, I don't know if it's deserved. The Note 2 is getting Lollipop and it was released fall 2012 - making it 2.5 years old and still getting the newest update. All their other flagships since then (S4, Note 3, S5, Note 4) are all in the process of getting it.

 

[podspi]

I notice it going from N7 to N5.

Lower resolution of N4 could be masking what I see. Lollipop was great for it, though.

Big difference between the N7 and N5, though with some overclocking I have managed to make the performance differential less evident. I've been really impressed with the performance advances on mobiles (says everybody always).

 

[sweenish]

From a chipset + RAM perspective, not really.

But I didn't discount the statement.

 

[IHAVEAQUESTION]

Iphone has amazing support mainly due to timely software update. I regularly see people rocking with 4S with no sweat.

Nexus line is the only android I would consider. My Nexus 4 runs fine after 2+ years today. However, Nexus 6 is too large and 5 is a bit too old. Depending on what Nexus 7 phone looks like, I may have to jump ship to Apple.

 

[magomago]

I wouldn't recommend to jumping into the N4 or N5 at this point. You got the 4S because you wanted a premium phone at the time, and I would get another premium phone.
Just because 5.0 is out doesn't mean 4.4 is obsolete; quite the contrary we'll see support for 4.4 for a long time to come, just like how many apps supported 2.3 for a very long time.

If having the latest OS matters to you, its a problem that can't be solved with Android or Apple right now as the phones eventually go obsolete. But, with some small tinkering skills, you can get OS updates for the most popular brands of phones as supported by the community. In many instances (I'm thinking of Nexus toolkit, but no doubt LG, Samsung, and HTC have the same support), these updates can be had with simple programs that require a few clicks and automate the process.

 

[StrangerGuy]

I did not notice this "significant jump" you talk about when switching between the Nexus 4 and 5.

I could hardly imagine even a Snapdragon 400 can bottleneck anything much less any Krait SoC, unless you are talking about intensive 3D gaming. Amount of RAM matters a ton more in general smoothness.

 

[shortylickens]

My Note 2 is perfectly fine.

 

[Zodiark1593]

My Note 2 is perfectly fine.

Considering the low end phone (usually running cortex A7s) suffices for many people, quad A9s should be working pretty well.

 

[oobydoobydoo]

I don't think any android phone except the Exynos 5433,5430,7430 and Qualcomm S810 based phones could be called anything close to "future proof".


Android is just now switching to 32bit, so you better get a 64 bit phone. In general though, android phones are only really good for 8 months. That's usually how long it takes for a certain flagship SoC to be beaten, and it's also about as long as you'll get updates from most OEMs.

 

[Zodiark1593]

I don't think any android phone except the Exynos 5433,5430,7430 and Qualcomm S810 based phones could be called anything close to "future proof".


Android is just now switching to 32bit, so you better get a 64 bit phone. In general though, android phones are only really good for 8 months. That's usually how long it takes for a certain flagship SoC to be beaten, and it's also about as long as you'll get updates from most OEMs.

I think the general consensus of future proof isn't how long the phone will be the top of the pack, but how long before it starts getting chocked by software you use and most common websites.

Aside from benchmarks, there really isn't anything that challenges the S800 in my G2. Even the most demanding of games run without hiccups. And mind you, this is a phone from late 2013. Even something as old as the Note 2 can easily handle most tasks short of intensive 3d gaming.

I'd wager it will probably be awhile before there's any games that can put my phone to it's knees, so yes, I'd consider it futureproof.

 

[jhu]

Future proof is dependent upon usage patterns. I had a Galaxy S2, and with regard to performance, it would be perfectly fine for my usage patterns right now (web browsing, terminal usage, dictionaries, watching anime). But I upgraded to Nexus 4 and then HTC One M8 because I wanted a bigger screen.

Prior to the Galaxy S2, I had an HTC Aria. That thing was definitely not future proof: screen is way too small, processor is way too slow, not much RAM. Completely night and day going from the Aria to the Galaxy S2.

 

[oobydoobydoo]

I think the general consensus of future proof isn't how long the phone will be the top of the pack, but how long before it starts getting chocked by software you use and most common websites.

Aside from benchmarks, there really isn't anything that challenges the S800 in my G2. Even the most demanding of games run without hiccups. And mind you, this is a phone from late 2013. Even something as old as the Note 2 can easily handle most tasks short of intensive 3d gaming.

I'd wager it will probably be awhile before there's any games that can put my phone to it's knees, so yes, I'd consider it futureproof.

When all the software switches to 64bit, every iphone before the 5s and every android phone besides the new Exynos and S810 phones will become basically worthless. That's about as un-futureproof as you can get.

 

[Zodiark1593]

When all the software switches to 64bit, every iphone before the 5s and every android phone besides the new Exynos and S810 phones will become basically worthless. That's about as un-futureproof as you can get.

When is a funny word. Looking at the pc (x86) platform, most mainstream software there is still 32 bit compatible, and we've had 64 bit hardware for a decade. I can see performance critical apps (games, video editing, etc) going 64 bit ARM in a year or so, though the mainstream stuff will likely remain 32 bit for the foreseeable future.

 

[oobydoobydoo]

When is a funny word. Looking at the pc (x86) platform, most mainstream software there is still 32 bit compatible, and we've had 64 bit hardware for a decade. I can see performance critical apps (games, video editing, etc) going 64 bit ARM in a year or so, though the mainstream stuff will likely remain 32 bit for the foreseeable future.

You're probably right about 90% plus of the software, but the few new applications that are coded in 64bit might not be compatible with 32bit android.


I foresee a situation where your phone works fine, but there are some new apps you cant run, and that list of apps increases daily.

 

[dawheat]

My Note 2 is perfectly fine.

And it's getting Lollipop. Not bad for a 2.5 year old phone.

 

[oobydoobydoo]

And it's getting Lollipop. Not bad for a 2.5 year old phone.

Crazy part is my little cousin's 5 year old iphone 4 is running iOS8. Today, no waiting.


Maybe the OEMS can all group together, and organize something with google so that all android phones would get similar updates to what iphones get. If all the OEMs worked together they could push updates much faster.

 

[dawheat]

Crazy part is my little cousin's 5 year old iphone 4 is running iOS8. Today, no waiting.


Maybe the OEMS can all group together, and organize something with google so that all android phones would get similar updates to what iphones get. If all the OEMs worked together they could push updates much faster.

I thought the 4S was the oldest phone on ios8, making it 3 years. I recall the 4 got its with a bunch of features disabled.

 

[ControlD]

Crazy part is my little cousin's 5 year old iphone 4 is running iOS8. Today, no waiting.


Maybe the OEMS can all group together, and organize something with google so that all android phones would get similar updates to what iphones get. If all the OEMs worked together they could push updates much faster.

The OEMs can push the updates out as fast as possible, but the carriers still decide if and when those updates make it to the end user. They need however long to get all of their useless crapware added to the ROM image before they will allow it to be released.

The Apple way of controlling updates is no doubt the superior model. Android was never in the position to dictate to the carriers being second to market. Bottom line is that if you want to be on the cutting edge with Android, get a Nexus device or make sure you have a device that can be bootloader unlocked and rooted. Or, somehow convince all of the carriers to end subsidized pricing all together and then I suppose the OEMs can do whatever they want with updates.

 

[holden j caufield]

The updates shouldn't be that huge a draw. I've seen and had more problems with OTA updates from manufacturers/carriers than they've solved, and usually they aren't minor problems. If you pick an xda community supported device you'll be better supported for a long time.

I'm old school in the sense that any device that is critical doesn't get updated unless there is a security hole or the upside of performance increase is so great it outweighs the chance of a major snafu (when I had only 1 phone I never chanced a bricked update, now with a few phones and the ability to unbrick most brands I've probably tried 50+ different roms)

 

[ControlD]

The updates shouldn't be that huge a draw. I've seen and had more problems with OTA updates from manufacturers/carriers than they've solved, and usually they aren't minor problems. If you pick an xda community supported device you'll be better supported for a long time.

I agree with you 100% on this.

Unfortunately, depending on the carrier, it seems like those devices are becoming harder to find. I am still rolling with my Note 2 for exactly that reason. I have a really nice Lollipop ROM running on it now. Chance are when Verizon finally releases an official 5.x ROM for the Note 2, it will be a monster 1.5GB image filled with a ton of useless crap.

 

[sweenish]

The 4S is a slug with iOS 8. For my sister, it was a very painful month. She couldn't wait to get her new phone.

Not to mention that it's iOS 8 Lite. At least when an older Android set gets an update, it actually gets the full update.

And I hear everyone praising the 4S for getting updates, but ignoring the Nexus 4. Really?

And it's only been getting better for Android.

I think the S800 is the beginning of good enough. The Krait was close, and it's likely it's still great on the N4, but it's a bit sluggish on my N7. A year into my GNex, I was already getting frustrated. A year into my N5 now, and it's still great.