With a lot of discussion hovering around the number of years of updates Android phones provide when pitched against the iPhone, and OEMs trying to one up each other in that regard, you might wonder what the fuss is all about. You might also think why your device’s software even needs to be tweaked when everything’s already running perfectly fine.
Thing is, aside from all those user-facing snazzy interface changes, updates also introduce plenty of under-the-hood optimisations. These include performance improvements, and more importantly – security and privacy updates. Let’s start by taking a look at the things you miss out on when you stick to an older version of Android or if your phone reaches the end of its software support life.
Why update your Android phone
Security and privacy enhancements
One of the most common ways for malicious apps to gain access to your private data is through permissions, which, ironically, are mostly granted by users themselves. Until Android 10, apps were given lifetime access to things like the mic or the internal storage after user consent.
Why update your Android phone
Security and privacy enhancements
One of the most common ways for malicious apps to gain access to your private data is through permissions, which, ironically, are mostly granted by users themselves. Until Android 10, apps were given lifetime access to things like the mic or the internal storage after user consent.
You can see what we are trying to get at here. The older your Android version is, the more important security features you miss out on. But it doesn’t end there. The Android system isn’t infallible, just like any other OS, and bad actors often find new vulnerabilities to exploit when older ones are patched. It’s really a cat-and-mouse game where Google plugs exploitable vulnerabilities, bad actors find their way around them, and Google patches things up again. These patches are rolled out through monthly security updates, making such updates just as important as full-fledged Android version upgrades.
Performance enhancements
Android 12 saw some of the most notable performance improvements to the platform in a long time, with Google claiming it “reduced the CPU time needed for core system services by 22%.” This helps apps launch faster and the system run smoother. Obviously, some Android versions bring more significant performance enhancement than others. But the one thing you can be certain of is that there’s rarely any regression – unless of course if the OEM messes things up on their end, which sadly is often seen on budget phones. Still, the advantages usually outweigh the disadvantages.
User interface tweaks
You can see what we are trying to get at here. The older your Android version is, the more important security features you miss out on. But it doesn’t end there. The Android system isn’t infallible, just like any other OS, and bad actors often find new vulnerabilities to exploit when older ones are patched. It’s really a cat-and-mouse game where Google plugs exploitable vulnerabilities, bad actors find their way around them, and Google patches things up again. These patches are rolled out through monthly security updates, making such updates just as important as full-fledged Android version upgrades.
Performance enhancements
Android 12 saw some of the most notable performance improvements to the platform in a long time, with Google claiming it “reduced the CPU time needed for core system services by 22%.” This helps apps launch faster and the system run smoother. Obviously, some Android versions bring more significant performance enhancement than others. But the one thing you can be certain of is that there’s rarely any regression – unless of course if the OEM messes things up on their end, which sadly is often seen on budget phones. Still, the advantages usually outweigh the disadvantages.
User interface tweaks
You can see what we are trying to get at here. The older your Android version is, the more important security features you miss out on. But it doesn’t end there. The Android system isn’t infallible, just like any other OS, and bad actors often find new vulnerabilities to exploit when older ones are patched. It’s really a cat-and-mouse game where Google plugs exploitable vulnerabilities, bad actors find their way around them, and Google patches things up again. These patches are rolled out through monthly security updates, making such updates just as important as full-fledged Android version upgrades.
Performance enhancements
Android 12 saw some of the most notable performance improvements to the platform in a long time, with Google claiming it “reduced the CPU time needed for core system services by 22%.” This helps apps launch faster and the system run smoother. Obviously, some Android versions bring more significant performance enhancement than others. But the one thing you can be certain of is that there’s rarely any regression – unless of course if the OEM messes things up on their end, which sadly is often seen on budget phones. Still, the advantages usually outweigh the disadvantages.
User interface tweaks
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