[p1800nut]

The angst about delayed security patches has hit a new high. For those frustrated with BB Mobile, I'm wondering what the alternatives are. Other than Pixel (and of course iOS), which OEMs have a good track record for regular security updates and OS upgrades?

[thurask]

Pixel and iOS are about it.

[anon(10321802)]

Microsoft does with Windows Mobile. They are EoL-ing that platform over the next year or so as they prepare to launch whatever their next big thing is in mobile, but they have promised OS updates/patches for Windows Mobile through the end of 2018 and possibly into 2019.

As far as Android OEMs...if by regular you mean monthly, I'm not sure any of them really do that besides Google. But I'd love for someone to show otherwise.

[Troy Tiscareno]

Apple, Google (Nexus/Pixel), Samsung (flagships, mostly). Most others are "one major OS update" with occasionally 2 for a flagship, and occasionally none for an entry-level phone.

OS updates cost money to develop, and come with a financial risk at every rollout (having to replace bricked phones), so manufacturers don't have tons of incentive to do them, except for their flagships and the raised customer expectations that come with them.

But support beyond 2 years is rare - they figure it is time to buy a new phone by then.

[Ment]

all are subject to the whims of carriers. Samsung on Tmobile for example is still on July security fix for the S8. Get a Pixel or Iphone.

[BB-JAM215]

I doubt there's much security angst on any platform other than BlackBerry Android.

[OTCHRussell]

just got IOS 11 on my iPad. Hate the new keyboard!!! At least it was on time. LOL

BB9000>Q10>Z10>Z30>Z30>Classic>Dtek50>Dtek60

[elfabio80]

Sony is delivering also punctually security patches.

Posted via CB10

[stlabrat]

now google just brought HTC for as little 1B, your best bet would be next google phone (not sure if you buy HTC today will do you any good). forget sammy if I were you... you need hardware and software integration to get the security - if you trust google... (at least not facebook).

[stlabrat]

on the second thought, you never know what google going to do with their new acquisition; they brought MOT, look like more or less for the patent profolio instead of hardware - didn't see that much come out from hardware... i'll wait and see.. (google track record on integration of the stuff they brought is not that great IMHO). consider you are warned. (still thought google should brought BB 10 hardware when it was still exist... but that possibly too expansive toy for them at the time... definitely more than 1B).

[anon(8679041)]

The angst about delayed security patches has hit a new high. For those frustrated with BB Mobile, I'm wondering what the alternatives are. Other than Pixel (and of course iOS), which OEMs have a good track record for regular security updates and OS upgrades?

From my understanding and researches done so far I could say that security is a double sided coin.
First side regards outside of the OS risks and the second side regards security (privacy) risks from the OS owners themselves.

Let's start it this way. Why people (in my opinion) loved BB10 (and not Android so much)?
I think it's because both sides of the coin were fine since BB was a Canadian company. A strong and independent enough country which is somehow viewed as a passive participant in global politics. People often times, from a political perspective, have it with US or Russia, Arabic countries but not Canada. So you'd think that this company wouldn't be involved in any "spying" or "controlling" activities applied on their companies, and as such, BlackBerry. For the contrast, compare BlackBerry with Kaspersky company (Russian), a lot of people won't buy a device running on this OS especially because of this political reason.
And so people considered BB as a safe option, with regards to the second side of the coin (security (privacy) risks from the OS owners themselves). And since this company's slogans and promises were directed towards "Security" and "Privacy" you'd think that this company wouldn't claim that if it really wouldn't be true. A single hack, tapped on camera, would make BB's sales go down drastically. Since that'd mean that the company is about "nothing".
So again, both sides of the coin were covered for BB10.

Now if comparing Android, iOS and BlackBerry Android, what sides of the coin would they cover? If I were you, I'd judge exactly from this perspective.
My opinion on these are:

Android - 1st side: Yes. 2nd side: No. They make money out of "personalized" ads. Why on earth would they miss a chance of sneaking some info from your android device and enlarging their database if that's how they make money? Just think about it, they offer almost everything for "free" (Gmail, Drive, Android OS, Chrome, Translate, Maps, Analytics ...) why? I think you got it.

iOS - 1st side: Yes. 2nd side: Yes, more or less. Apple gets huge incomes by selling handsets. This doesn't mean they don't collect data and that they won't use it in the most "low" way, when they'll need it. But at least you know they aren't worrying that much about income through ads since they are doing very well on selling their handsets. There is at least a chance of a better use and attitude towards our data.

And finally, BlackBerry Android - 1st side: Yes, more or less. 2nd side: No. Since they're relatively new in the Android ecosystem I'd assume some external hack would be possible. Any transition requires time to get better at the second thing, than on the one you've been on previously.
And of course it's a "No" for the 2nd side of the coin, because it's android. I really liked a blog post on CrackBerry (https://crackberry.com/google-play-p...ugDk61qwoC4.97) where the author says: "If you're using a BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android, chances are you got an update recently from Google and didn't even notice it." - this pretty much summarizes my opinion on Android. Why would google push an update without my consent? Because I'll be less secure without this update? I don't care, this is the risk I take while not updating, and I understand this. But receiving updates while not "even noticing it" - is not what I'd like from a smartphone OS.

I'm not an iOS fan, and won't be probably, but this would be a better pick from a security stand-point, and not Android whatsoever.

Closing this comment with a "OP you choose now" would be way too clever of me, since I clearly was driving this discussion to a single point. So I'd rather say that this is only my opinion, which it really is, and you choose whether to take something from it or not. Cheers!

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

now google just brought HTC for as little 1B, your best bet would be next google phone (not sure if you buy HTC today will do you any good). forget sammy if I were you... you need hardware and software integration to get the security - if you trust google... (at least not facebook).

It's more like Google bought a department from HTC along with a lease on some IP. For existing and even future HTC phones, it probable will not mean anything.

On of the biggest reasons I think Apple has dominated everyone in business... they have come the closest to offering a long term solution. We all know enterprise liked holding on to hardware for four or five years.... no one else comes even close to that kind of support. Think Google is working toward that with their own devices.

[wingnut666]

no updates for bb10 in some time...must be 100% secure.

Posted via CBX

[thurask]

no updates for bb10 in some time...must be 100% secure.

Posted via CBX

No updates for Windows 2000 in some time... Must be 100% secure.

[stlabrat]

rumor mill of amazon/BB will start all over again... (sammy possibly too... strike balance of droid OS stand alone with HTC/Google nitch will be hard...). The unit will be better for sure - with Google control both hardware and software, the finger pointing security and bloadware issue will be resolved... hopefully. Looking forward to see what happen next 12 month.

[bobshine]

Today, iPhone definitely. And they are doubling down on it behind the scene. Notice how they always say that your fingerprints are stored on device only? In a secured enclave?

But they do have lots and lots of breaches! However, if you stick with the App store, don’t open any unknown links, you’ll be safe

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

rumor mill of amazon/BB will start all over again... (sammy possibly too... strike balance of droid OS stand alone with HTC/Google nitch will be hard...). The unit will be better for sure - with Google control both hardware and software, the finger pointing security and bloadware issue will be resolved... hopefully. Looking forward to see what happen next 12 month.

I will say... Apple does an amazing job with the hardware/software collaboration. Some might not like the simplicity of iOS's interface, or the restrictiveness of the platform. But it is very clear that iOS is meant to run on their hardware and that it doesn't need 6GB RAM or 4000mAh batteries to do it.

[stlabrat]

part of reason droid need super ram high spec due to inferior app developer (majority located in the opposite side of the world) and lack of hardware software integration (didn't use LUT to shorten the process). Just look at maga app come with the wechat, and others... sure it can do wonder for all kind of tasks, but you need high processor and extra ram. smaller app (task specific) are much efficient (or effective). part of the reason those maga app not popular in NA or EU, is possibly culture... (you hand pick the best app for each task, not a collective app with some trade offs or add ons... that also apply to the games in that neck of the woods... ). unless google put their foot down to get good SDKand set standard for apps, free OS just get many apps that either bload memory, or bug ladden... extra processor and memory just masking the under lying inferior software problem... (part of the reason I try to avoid droid... Google should brought BB10 hardware and software, let the droid go free flow Darwinian evoluation and let user as geniepig... focus to revamp bb10 sdk as clean slate for both security and efficiency... but that is so not google...). IMHO.

[bobshine]

part of reason droid need super ram high spec due to inferior app developer (majority located in the opposite side of the world) and lack of hardware software integration (didn't use LUT to shorten the process). Just look at maga app come with the wechat, and others... sure it can do wonder for all kind of tasks, but you need high processor and extra ram. smaller app (task specific) are much efficient (or effective). part of the reason those maga app not popular in NA or EU, is possibly culture... (you hand pick the best app for each task, not a collective app with some trade offs or add ons... that also apply to the games in that neck of the woods... ). unless google put their foot down to get good SDKand set standard for apps, free OS just get many apps that either bload memory, or bug ladden... extra processor and memory just masking the under lying inferior software problem... (part of the reason I try to avoid droid... Google should brought BB10 hardware and software, let the droid go free flow Darwinian evoluation and let user as geniepig... focus to revamp bb10 sdk as clean slate for both security and efficiency... but that is so not google...). IMHO.

It’s not only software/hardware integration and good app developers. Apple has a top notch team of coders.

For example, RAM management is much much more efficient than Android. And the code behind it is a closely kept secret by Apple. Some researcher had found that when an app is “suspended”, somehow it only takes an infime amount of memory. Whereas on Android it still takes the full amount. That’s why Android sees so much redraws of apps whereas iOS works much better at multitasking.