The Android OS Update Problem.

Alex King writes: "The lack of OS updates to active devices is creating a huge burden on the Android app ecosystem.

Developers have to support too many OS versions and devices. The testing matrix involved in supporting multiple OS versions, multiple vendor-specific extensions, multiple hardware configurations (differences in physical screen size and resolution, with or without a hardware keyboard, BlackBerry style keyboard vs. slide-out landscape keyboard, etc.). How do you optimize for user experience across that many variants? How do you effectively test your apps across them all?

This burden is heavy on the entire ecosystem. As it increases, it hinders the ecosystem’s ability to move forward until it eventually grinds to a halt. Stuck, unable to move under it’s own bloat. That is when it becomes a problem for consumers."