Your phone won't get Android Lollipop and it is your fault

Google first revealed the existence of Android 5.0 aka Lollipop - at that time it was called Android L - on June 25. Next day Google released the preview version of the software for the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7. The final version of the OS was announced on October 15 and on the November 3, the source code of the operating software was released.

Since then Android Lollipop is slowly rolling out to various smartphones in the market. So far it has reached a handful of devices -- Nexus 5 and Nexus 4, some Nexus tablets, LG G3, Motorola Moto phones in several countries. In the coming months, more devices will get it. But chances are that majority of existing Android users in India will never see Android Lollipop on their device.

And it is really bad because Android Lollipop, especially in its stock and unmodified state, the way it runs on a Nexus device, is pretty amazing.

But if your phone, even the one that you bought yesterday, is not going to get the Android Lollipop, it is mostly your fault. Yes, it is also the fault of Google as well as the phone company that sold you the phone. But mostly it is your fault.

The Android update process is in shambles. That is true. But it is in shambles because consumers - yes, you - don't care. When people buy smartphones, how many of them ask the seller about the software updates. Everybody is concerned about the processor, the camera, the memory… but no one bothers asking the company that is selling a phone whether the phone will get software updates or not. And when a company says that it will get the updates, no one demands a definite timeline for the updates.

This is the reason why every week companies like Micromax, Karbonn and Lava (which combined together sell almost 35 per cent to 40 per cent phones in the Indian market) come out with a new phone but have no proper system in place to service the existing phones which they have already sold to people.

It is always about, "here, buy our next phone powered by 16-core processor". It is never about, "come here, let's update the phone you bought one year ago." This is because the 16-core processor sells. People only care about it. They don't care about the software updates, or security fixes, or bug fixes or new software features that a phone may require in future.

This is why even companies like Samsung, LG and Sony just don't bother to update most of their phones. To avoid the bad press, they just update a few high-end phones and then move on to push more models into the market, instead of servicing the existing phones.

Phone companies are not running a charity. Providing updates and servicing the existing phones is not an easy job, especially in the world of Android, and if you - the consumer - is not going to ask for updates, no one is going to bother with it.

And that is exactly what happens.

You are not interested in software updates when you are buying your new shiny phone, so no company is going to promise you anything.

Unless this changes, unless consumers - and that means you - start to demand regular software updates, in a timely fashion and whenever required, the broken state of Android updates is not going to be fixed. Better still, consumers should vote with their wallet and punish the companies that don't give the timely updates.

Software updates are as important as any hardware feature. This makes iPhones so good and the whole iPhone ecosystem so good. Without latest software on your Android phone, not only you won't get access to new and updated user interface but you will also miss out on a number of unique usability or security features.

Why would you like to miss out these new features and interface? The only reason is that maybe you don't care. Well, if that is the case lack of Lollipop on your phone should hardly bother you.