Hard for an end user if no official OTA upgrade is offered.
Apple is in sole control of which iPhones (et al) iOS upgrades published and when. They generally do so for several years after a model is announced, and every device can download the newer version on the same day. Even the 3GS got a cut down iOS 6.
For an Android device the decision is made by a combination of the manufacturer and (for phones) the operator. A device typically gets 1 or maybe 2 official upgrades beyond what it was sold with, maybe months after Google announced that version. Some get no official updates.
There's CyanogenMod etc. for those of us with the know how/confidence, but most people shouldn't/won't do that.
Comments
Hard for an end user if no official OTA upgrade is offered.
Apple is in sole control of which iPhones (et al) iOS upgrades published and when. They generally do so for several years after a model is announced, and every device can download the newer version on the same day. Even the 3GS got a cut down iOS 6.
For an Android device the decision is made by a combination of the manufacturer and (for phones) the operator. A device typically gets 1 or maybe 2 official upgrades beyond what it was sold with, maybe months after Google announced that version. Some get no official updates.
There's CyanogenMod etc. for those of us with the know how/confidence, but most people shouldn't/won't do that.