Which Android manufacturer updates the most?

In the eternal debate with Apple, one of the main defects that are pointed out to Android is the low frequency of updates. Being a system confined to a few devices, iOS is able to update itself longer and on a much larger percentage of models.

On the contrary, the open-source nature of Android means that many companies use it in their own way on their phones, creating a vast fragmentation of the operating system.

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Also because every company has its own update policy and there are those who tend to update more and those less. If you have wondered which manufacturer updates the most to subsequent Android releases, you are in the right place: with this article, you will have an answer.

Who updates the most? Comparison of the main Android smartphone companies

Given the delicacy of the subject, however, it is necessary to make some premises. The first concerns the list of producers that we have taken into consideration, with a focus on the more typically Asian panorama. This means that in the list you will find Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO, Black Shark, Huawei, Honor, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme and Vivo.

However, to give you a more complete overview, we have also decided to include Samsung, Nokia and Motorola, three of the most typically “Western” major companies. We have not included other brands such as Sony due to the lack of diffusion on the market, as well as other companies not very present such as Nubia, Red Magic, Meizu, ZTE and so on.

The other premise concerns the timing analyzed. Since we are in 2021 and a new version of Android comes out a year, we have included the models released between today and 2017. We range, therefore, from Android 6 Marshmallow up to Android 12, but we will keep this article updated over time.

While it hasn’t been released on a large scale yet, we still kept Android 12 and related manufacturer roadmaps in mind. We also premise that the analysis concerns only the updates of the Android version and not those of the proprietary interfaces (MIUI, OxygenOS and so on).

The last premise concerns the accuracy of the data. We have not included any model, excluding special variants or variants limited to small geographic areas. Furthermore, especially for some brands that produce a lot of models (especially low-cost ones), it is sometimes not easy to know if a specific model with little diffusion has actually been updated.

In this case, we invite you to report possible errors, but we guarantee that the evaluations would not undergo particular variations in any case. Where the average of the major updates of a given brand is not reported, it is because there is not enough history to draw one.

Apple

First off: actually, how long does Apple update its iPhones? Taking into consideration the latest iOS 14 major updates, the list of compatible models goes back to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Having been launched in 2015 with iOS 9 on board, we can say that Apple currently offers 5 major updates. Keep this number in mind, because now you will understand why iOS users always point out this difference.

Xiaomi

Let’s start with Xiaomi, one of the most prolific manufacturers in both Asia and Europe. And it is one of the companies that most relies on its MIUI interface, which is frequently updated and on many models from multiple generations.

However, it is necessary to distinguish between the parent company and the various sub-brands, whose software management takes place in a diversified manner. Xiaomi has almost always secured 2 major updates for the premium and medium / high range, except for a few models here and there.

These two updates are guaranteed for the top models but not for the variants marketed on a smaller scale (such as Mi MIX 3 5G or Mi 6X). It can also be seen how, since Xiaomi also entered the western market, the gestation of updates has improved.

Flagship: ~ 2 major update

Mid-range: ~ 1/2 major update

Entry-level: 0 major update

Redmi

As anticipated, Redmi is part of Xiaomi but is dedicated to different market segments. Xiaomi focuses on the most premium products, while Redmi packs the cheapest (and best-selling) products. With the exception of the high-end K series, all the other models do not go beyond a single major update, a noteworthy flaw if we consider that the Redmi Note series represents a large slice of the global Android market.

Precisely for this reason, I wrote an editorial about it, explaining why Redmi should adapt differently, even if Xiaomi is trying to improve. Fortunately, even the entry-level range is not forgotten, almost always guaranteeing a major update.

Flagship: ~ 2 major update

Mid-range: ~ 1 major update

Entry-level: ~ 1 major update

POCO

It is difficult to give a true assessment of the frequency of POCO updates, given the few models in the catalog. Furthermore, most of the models are rebrands of Xiaomi and Redmi phones already in circulation. However, let’s take stock of the situation. We will talk about it later, when there will be a more concrete history to build on.

Flagship

Mid-range

Entry-level