Ever going to get standardization on mobile like on desktop?

[tortillasoup]

For over a decade now, I've noticed that phones and tablet continue to have very proprietary software/hardware solutions that just don't play nice with the concept of an operating system that you can just install on top of it without doing an amazing amount of work to make work. On a PC, I can just buy any computer off the shelf and install Windows or linux. If I don't have a driver, a certain feature won't work until a driver is written for it. The same cannot be said for phones. I've heard grumblings that Windows 10 is suppose to be this very thing. There is even mentioning of putting Windows 10 on a single Android device.

But otherwise, it looks like it's still far too difficult to install one's own OS onto a phone. Is there any hope of this changing? I have an HTC Amaze 4G and I'm happy with the hardware setup it has but because HTC has decided not to support it anymore, I cannot get Android updates for it. Sure there are some ROMs made here and there but they're buggy and it takes a lot of work to make those ROMs possible. What do you think is the huge impediment or needs to change to make upgrading the OSs on all these devices significantly easier, more possible without requiring so much Carrier/manufacturer input?

 

[Commodus]

I wouldn't count on it.

Many carriers simply wouldn't allow it, as you hinted at earlier. One of the reasons why carrier-specific phone variants are often locked down is that the providers are trying to control the support experience (arguably too much, but that's another debate). They know how devices will affect the network and how to help when customers call in. And, I'd add, carriers are terrified of the inevitable transition to becoming dumb data pipes. They want to hold on to anything that makes it seem like they're offering a distinct experience, including proprietary software.

The other bit is simply inconsistencies in hardware support. Windows Phone (and eventually, Windows 10) only supports a handful of processors, displays and similar hardware -- you couldn't just install it on your Android phone, because things probably wouldn't work. Android on Windows phones is another matter, but I suspect Microsoft hates that idea.

I wouldn't expect this to change unless carriers seriously change their tune, which may require either very robust networks (so that the likelihood of problems is almost non-existent) or a change in business models that embraces the dumb pipe concept.

 

[RecycledElectro]

Look at laptops vs desktops. Laptops still do not have the same interchangeability of parts that desktops to.

Phones will always be worse than laptops due to space and weight limitations.

 

[mrochester]

Smartphones are more akin to appliances than to computers of old with replaceable parts etc. I expect our devices will become more appliance like as time goes on. That's just the progress of technology for you.