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Many of us here first got a taste of Google when we picked up a Motorola Droid. Whether you bought it because it wasn't an iPhone, Verizon didn't carry the iPhone, or just because it was cool, the Motorola Droid brought Android into the light for many of us. As the years went on and we begin to see new phones pop up with new software, we began to ask the question, "why is it taking so long to update my phone?" It wasn't long before Android users began to understand the term "fragmentation" for what it is. At first, Google took the hit for it before users began to realize that Google did not have as much control over their software as we realized. Apple has the ability to update all of its software on all its device without any interference from the carriers. In fact, Apple demands exactly that before producing even one i-device to work on a carrier. For Apple to have that ability to demand control of their software while Google took the heat for all the hassle folks had to go through to update their device, seemed one-sided.
We have seen over the past year Google start to take the power back from the carriers and manufacturers by taking more control of their apps and updating what needs updating via the Google Play store. We are seeing older devices finally getting support for much needed updates to Google software. Today I installed and ran Google Wallet on my Droid 2. This was something unthinkable even a few days ago. Though this is a different Google Wallet than what I ran on my Galaxy Nexus almost 2 years ago we are beginning to see Google make the needed changes required to get more of its software on more Android devices, despite lack of support from carriers or manufacturers. Seeing moves like that from Google builds confidence in the fan base as we are seeing them take more and more control of their software.
I am curious to see if the rumors of older devices being able to update to 4.4 turn out to be true. If so, how will Google be able to pull that off. Will they allow users to update from the Play Store itself or will they need to go to Google's secure server to download and install the software?
Whether the rumor of older devices running 4.4 is true or not, I am still excited about the moves Google has made lately, and look forward to seeing where Google takes their software from here.
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