Summary
- Android Update Tracker provides a detailed chart listing Android phones and their eligibility for future software updates, including whether an update will be the device's last version.
- The chart includes major manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola, as well as smaller manufacturers like ZTE and Tecno, but errors may occur as manufacturers often don't disclose their update plans.
- Slow adoption of new Android versions is attributed to factors such as OEM skins, optimization time after Google updates, and the use of outdated hardware components in budget phones.
Some Android OEMs, like Samsung and Google, proudly advertise support timetables as a selling point for their flagship phones. But for many of the best budget phones, it can be difficult to predict if you'll receive the next Android update, given that the timeline is often speculative. Depending on factors such as when you purchased your phone, you might even already have its final version. Now, a detailed chart has been developed to give Android phone owners insight into whether their device will be eligible for the next update.
Android Update Tracker, a project launched by a community of Android users, lists dozens of Android phones in an organized chart and details whether they will receive upcoming software updates. Additionally, the chart’s creators note whether an update is the last version for a device, which might come in handy if you’re thinking about upgrading.
Most Android phones from major manufacturers, such as Samsung and Motorola, are included in the chart. However, devices from smaller manufacturers, like ZTE and Tecno, are also detailed in the tracker. The chart creators acknowledged the potential for errors, as most manufacturers don’t disclose their update plans. The only verifiable information pertains to end-of-life for models that will not receive future updates.
Google regularly updates Android's opens source code base, AOSP, with monthly security patches and yearly OS upgrades. However, a quick glance at Android's version distribution numbers paints a depressing picture: only 15% of devices are running Android 13 nearly a year after its release, with the vast majority of phones still languishing on Android 11 and older versions.
This slow rate of adoption is often blamed on OEM skins, which add custom features on top of AOSP, but take time to optimize after Google updates its code base. Google has tried to mitigate this problem with projects like Treble and Mainline, however, other factors like the use of outdated and unsupported hardware components in budget phones still contribute to Android's fragmentation problems.
The chart developed by Android Update Tracker also details which phones will likely be eligible for Android 14 when it’s released in the near future. The website even lists the dates of when each phone received its latest Android software update, making it easy to spot trends like one series of phones receiving updates for longer than another series from the same brand.