Google to take OEMs to task over delayed Android updates: Report

NEW DELHI: Google is getting serious about the roll out of Android updates. According to a report by Bloomberg, the search giant is working on a plan to publically shame smartphone makers and carriers that fail on delivering timely Android updates.

The report further suggests that Google has also created a list of smartphone makers and carriers ‘by how up-to-date their handsets are, based on security patches and operating system versions’.

Presently, Google has only shared the list with its partners, but the company is also considering making it public to shame the companies so that customers can get an up to date Android experience.

Delayed updates are one of the biggest pain points of Android as they cause ecosystem fragmentation and also affect security of users’ data.
As per Google's own report, majority of Android users are either on Lollipop (35.6%) or on KitKat (32.5%) versions. As for the numbers on the latest version -- Android Marshmallow, they stand just at 7.5%.

Google recently announced its ‘Project Abacus,’ aimed at bringing password-free login functionality to Android apps. The announcement came from Dan Kaufman, Director of Google's ATAP team, at a low profile event during I/O 2016.