Motorola details how their ICS update pipeline flows

[Bateluer]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/1...ting-devices-will-receive-ice-cream-sandwich/

1. Merge and adapt the new release for different device hardware architecture(s) and carrier customizations

This means that we take the source code and incorporate it into upgrades for devices on which this can perform well, along with making sure the carrier requirements are met. Silicon partners such as Qualcomm, TI, and nVidia adapt this to their chipsets in parallel and we incorporate these as they become available. This is also the time when we begin integrating all of the Motorola-specific software enhancements into the source code. Features like MotoCast, Smart Actions, and our comprehensive enterprise solutions are integral parts of our device experiences, and we want to make sure we continue delivering differentiated experiences for our consumers with these software upgrades.

2. Stabilize and ‘bake’ the result to drive out bugs

This means that we will prepare the upgrade to meet the quality and stability requirements to enter the wireless carrier’s certification lab.

3. Submit the upgrade to the carriers for certification

This is the point in the process where the carrier’s lab qualifies and tests the upgrade. Each carrier has different requirements for phases 2 and 3. There may be a two-month preparation cycle to enter a carrier lab cycle of one to three months.

3.5 Perform a Customer pre-release

We may perform some customer testing before a final release is delivered publicly to our user base.

4. Release the upgrade

We are planning on upgrading as many of our phones as possible. The ability to offer the upgrade depends on a number of factors including the hardware/device capabilities, the underlying chipset software support, the ICS support and then the ability to support the Motorola value add software.

Translation: We add our bloatware in, make sure the device is still slightly usable. Pass to the carrier, more bloat added. Usability compromised, disregard user feedback. Release update, phones become unusable, many cases of bricking. Carrier and Moto social networks slammed with angry posts. Posts deleted, update quietly pulled. More testing, no bloat removed. Same update released a week later, bricked phones simply replaced.

 

[linthat22]

I dislike bloatware as much as the next person, but Motorola's upgrade rollouts suck.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

That last section is a lie. The Droid X is 100% perfectly capable of running ICS is the Nexus S can, and you can be 100% sure it won't be seeing an official OTA.

 

[Bateluer]

That last section is a lie. The Droid X is 100% perfectly capable of running ICS is the Nexus S can, and you can be 100% sure it won't be seeing an official OTA.

Moto releases so many phones they have to cut off some from support before they really should be. I commented on this on the RAZR/RAZR HD thread I started earlier this week.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

"carrier’s lab qualifies and tests the upgrade"

Really?? I bet they don't have any "lab"! It's a dude that check that the Blockbuster and NASCAR apps can't be uninstalled. Why the hell would they need to test anything? I can buy whatever phone I want from europe and pop in a SIM card and it works (on at&t or t-mo at least). Oh no, it's not tested!! how can these phones work??!

 

[NikolaeVarius]

"carrier’s lab qualifies and tests the upgrade"

Really?? I bet they don't have any "lab"! It's a dude that check that the Blockbuster and NASCAR apps can't be uninstalled. Why the hell would they need to test anything? I can buy whatever phone I want from europe and pop in a SIM card and it works (on at&t or t-mo at least). Oh no, it's not tested!! how can these phones work??!

 

[abaez]

In summary, "Our devices won't get ICS for months."

 

[ew915]

I think so far people have learnt not to buy motorola devices so this is irrelevant.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

ok I was't being completely serious. But what is this supposed carrier testing for? I brought a phone from europe when I moved here, got an at&t contract and put in the sim card. As far as I know this phone is not sold, or tested, in the US. And I could do the same with a galaxy s2 earlier this year, or a G-nex now, before it's "tested" by at&t and it would just work. What is this testing beyond bloatware? It's the right GSM bands, it'll work!

And it takes 2 months? really?!

 

[theevilsharpie]

ok I was't being completely serious. But what is this supposed carrier testing for? I brought a phone from europe when I moved here, got an at&t contract and put in the sim card. As far as I know this phone is not sold, or tested, in the US. And I could do the same with a galaxy s2 earlier this year, or a G-nex now, before it's "tested" by at&t and it would just work. What is this testing beyond bloatware? It's the right GSM bands, it'll work!

And it takes 2 months? really?!

In the US, the overwhelming majority of mobile phones are sold and supported by the carriers. At a minimum, they need to perform some testing to ensure that the updates don't brick the phones, especially if these updates are being pushed out from the carrier's network.

 

[ew915]

In the US, the overwhelming majority of mobile phones are sold and supported by the carriers. At a minimum, they need to perform some testing to ensure that the updates don't brick the phones, especially if these updates are being pushed out from the carrier's network.

No they need to make sure CIQ works perfectly

 

[alent1234]

"carrier’s lab qualifies and tests the upgrade"

Really?? I bet they don't have any "lab"! It's a dude that check that the Blockbuster and NASCAR apps can't be uninstalled. Why the hell would they need to test anything? I can buy whatever phone I want from europe and pop in a SIM card and it works (on at&t or t-mo at least). Oh no, it's not tested!! how can these phones work??!

there was an issue with iphone 3G's polling the towers and killing the network. one phone no one cares. if there are thousands of phones that do this it will crash the network

 

[AstroManLuca]

Easier path:

Get source code, make the bare minimum adjustments to ensure compatibility with existing devices, "leak" update months early to XDA community, let them do all the hard work, once things have been hammered out download unofficial ICS update from XDA and add in bloatware and release as OTA update.

I have a Samsung Epic and they "leaked" each build of the Gingerbread update for the community to have fun with. Finally about a month ago they released the official OTA update but many people had been running Gingerbread for months before then. Of course it helps that Samsung doesn't do anything to lock down their phones.

 

[Red Storm]

Easier path:

Get source code, make the bare minimum adjustments to ensure compatibility with existing devices, "leak" update months early to XDA community, let them do all the hard work, once things have been hammered out download unofficial ICS update from XDA and add in bloatware and release as OTA update.

I have a Samsung Epic and they "leaked" each build of the Gingerbread update for the community to have fun with. Finally about a month ago they released the official OTA update but many people had been running Gingerbread for months before then. Of course it helps that Samsung doesn't do anything to lock down their phones.

I don't want to defend them, but to be fair, there's a big difference between community releases and official releases. We have much lower expectations when it comes to community releases ("Wifi, bluetooth, and airplane mode don't work? No problem! Waiting for the next update..."). They can get away with features breaking or simply not working until they're fixed later. The companies have to try and make sure everything is working before releasing.

 

[alent1234]

slashdot is running a similar story and they add Sony's comments. for any qualcomm based phones the manufacturer has to replace the stock ICS HAL with their own HAL

too funny to read

 

[poofyhairguy]

for any qualcomm based phones the manufacturer has to replace the stock ICS HAL with their own HAL

That reminds me of the hacks Moto had to do with phones like the X for audio under Gingerbread.

 

[tommo123]

I don't want to defend them, but to be fair, there's a big difference between community releases and official releases. We have much lower expectations when it comes to community releases ("Wifi, bluetooth, and airplane mode don't work? No problem! Waiting for the next update..."). They can get away with features breaking or simply not working until they're fixed later. The companies have to try and make sure everything is working before releasing.

are you kidding? i have more expectations from XDA than i do from samsung/htc when it comes to updates. generally, the only time stuff doesn't work is in the early stages of a new AOSP project like ICS now. no drivers so a lot of work involved. stuff still works though. just not ready for prime time yet.

my sgs2 with a custom rom is sooo much better than the stock one from samsung. same with my htc desire last year. but, to be fair, i only buy phones with unlocked bootloaders - hence why i went sammy this time round instead of htc.