Where’s my Ice Cream Sandwich, Motorola?

Motorola users have to feel like they’ve been slapped in the face, as the company said that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update won’t be coming until at least the third quarter. What’s worse, flagship handsets like the Razr and Razr Maxx don’t even have a timetable for an update to the latest version of Android. I’ve had to say this every year: Android fragmentation isn’t getting any better. 

Handset makers always seem to lag updating their devices to the latest version of Android but the Motorola example really stinks because it will soon be a part of Google. If Google can’t even ensure that its own device have the latest version of Android in a timely manner, how can any other Android maker? 

The reason for this is the custom software layer that Motorola layers on top of Android and unlike many on the web, I believe that handset makers should try to innovate on top of this platform for many reasons. These companies have talented software engineers who may be able to add things that eventually become folded into Android, and, as Motorola’s CEO said, carriers don’t want stock Android on the devices it sells. 

I don’t want to trivialize how difficult it is for handset makers to update their custom software when a new version of Android comes out. Sony Ericsson, among others, has been transparent about this process and it sounds like a nightmare because Google is not very open about its open-source software. 

Instead of working with its handset partners beforehand, Google will choose one manufacturer for the Nexus lineup which gets an early peak at the next-generation software. We first saw Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Nexus but the adoption rate about three months after its release is abysmally small. 

The Motorola case is more troubling because it will be part of Google but there are no signs that this will lead to faster or better updates. You also have to consider that by the time your brand-new Motorola Razr Maxx gets Ice Cream Sandwich, we could already be seeing Android 5.0 Jelly Bean on a new Nexus device. 

Technology always advances and even if you’re on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, it’s not a bad experience. What really ticks me off is that Google made a big deal about really wanting to address Android fragmentation during its 2011 show. It made sweeping promises about a coalition of the largest players committed to getting timely Android updates out there for up to 18 months (which is the average amount of time people own a phone). 

Did you forget about that promise? It’s funny because it appears as if Google did too. PC Mag took a deep look at this and the results were very discouraging for consumers who expect their handset to get the latest version of the software in a reasonable amount of time. This is extremely disappointing. 

I believe that Google can and should do more to work with its partners on getting updates out at a faster pace but I don’t see it happening this year. Maybe 2013 will be the year we finally say that Android fragmentation is under control but I highly doubt it.