>>>If I buy a PC today, I can upgrade to a new OS when it comes out. Many people do. The platform is not abandoned by the manufacturer. In the case of many Android phones, you CAN'T upgrade to the latest version of Android, even if you want to. The manufacturer has orphaned the device. That's the whole point of the link I provided.
>
>My point is whether this matters if people prefer to upgrade THE WHOLE DEVICE rather than messing with the OS. That's what the major phone manufacturers seem to expect. I agree this is different from the traditional desktop where people expect to be able to buy a new OS for the same PC.
>
>>>And it has *nothing* to do with Windows vs. Apple. What happens on the desktop has nothing to do with what happens on the phone.
>
>Fragmentation is fragmentation. If the market tolerates it for the desktop, why should it suddenly be an issue for the phone- unless a security hole opens up or the latest apps won't run.

I would rarely upgrade an operating system. Certainly with WIndows the hardware requirements usually make it pointless.