Will Google's advance PDKs shift blame for no-show humanoid updates?

One of the foremost widespread criticisms I hear leveled against humanoid smart phones and tablets is that obtaining software updates for specific hardware may be next to not possible. In fact, regarding the sole manner you'll be able to make certain of having the ability to run the newest humanoid software is to shop for a tool with the OS already put in.

Who's answerable for this update mess may be a matter for dialogue, however Google is setting up place an inspiration that ought to facilitate it deflect the responsibility for absent updates off from itself and towards the hardware manufacturers themselves.

At last week's I/O conference, Google declared that it might create obtainable a Platform Development Kit (PDK) for chipset vendors and alternative hardware developers to permit them to organize for and port new humanoid updates to their existing hardware lineup.

According to Victor-Marie Hugo Barra, director of product management for humanoid, the new PDK is "like associate degree SDK, except for humanoid hardware developers". The PDK can contain needed|the mandatory} ASCII text file and low-level API documentation required for hardware OEMs to port humanoid over to their hardware. Barra aforementioned that the PDK would be obtainable to hardware partners regarding 2 to 3 months before the platform unleash date for all future humanoid versions.

"PDK allows humanoid OEMs and chipset manufacturers to introduce in parallel with Google," says Barra, "and ensures the newest humanoid unleash may be well-optimized for his or her hardware".

This sort of cooperation between Google and therefore the hardware manufacturers is long due as a result of it's clear that the prevailing system wasn't operating.

An example of however badly broken the prevailing system is comes within the style of the Motorola Droid RAZR. once this telephone was discharged eight months past it absolutely was discovered that it ran humanoid version a pair of.3.6 "Gingerbread" despite being unveiled  on the precise same day because the Galaxy Nexus was discharged, a telephone powered  by the then new humanoid 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". Then last week, whereas Google was showing off humanoid 4.1 "Jelly Bean" at the I/O conference, Motorola -- an organization that Google recently no inheritable  -- late discharged associate degree humanoid four.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" update for the Droid RAZR.

It remains to be seen whether or not the introduction of a PDK can truly encourage hardware manufacturers to supply support for the newest version of humanoid sooner and to additional hardware. We'll need to wait till consequent major humanoid unleash to visualize if it truly works. However, cathartic the PDK can enable Google to purpose the finger of blame at the OEMs once quizzed on why updates for a selected telephone are not forthcoming.

This news comes shortly once Microsoft declared that its coming incarnation of Windows Phone -- Windows Phone eight -- would not be compatible with any existing Windows Phone seven’s hardware.

The only company that appears to own the difficulty of Smartphone updates discovered is Apple, that makes updates obtainable to supported hardware mechanically as presently as they're obtainable and permits finish users to put in them at their leisure.