LG's 'Software Upgrade Middle' feels slightly also familiar

How many times can a company cry wolf before we all stop listening?

By my calculations, seeing this morning's news that LG is opening up a "Software Upgrade Center" — the industry'southward "first such facility aimed at providing customers worldwide with faster, timelier smartphone operating organization and software updates" (!) — could effect in three distinct reactions.

First is the woefully uninformed, overly positive reception — the i LG conspicuously hopes to elicit with its over-the-top press release: "Whoa! Expect at LG! It's breaking new ground and showing just how committed to customers it actually is."

Second is the guardedly optimistic view: "Await, I know LG has never been the all-time with Android upgrades, but information technology e'er tries. Maybe this will be a new beginning. Maybe things are nigh to get great!"

And third is the seriously skeptical view: "Riiiiight. LG e'er talks a good game with Android upgrades, but it never actually delivers. Looks like more than of the same ol' silliness we see every year."

Me? Equally someone who's tracked and analyzed Android upgrades closely since the kickoff, I tend to veer more toward that terminal view of skepticism. But I'thousand holding out a shred of hope — an always-so-microscopic one — that maybe, only maybe, this'll be the fourth dimension things alter (at least a little).

Let'southward be honest, though: Information technology'south difficult to experience too hopeful. After all, we all know the ugly truth about Android upgrades by now. (And for context, nosotros also know there's more than to the story than what we run into on the surface — right?) This nautical chart from my iv-year-long analysis of Android upgrade performance tells you everything you need to know about how near manufacturers are faring:

LG Software Upgrades Android JR Raphael

(Click epitome to enlarge)

What makes LG exceptional in this field of failure is the level of bravado that tends to accompany its indifference: Despite taking increasingly embarrassing amounts of time to evangelize major software upgrades to top-tier Android devices, LG continually puts out boastful printing releases that tout its efforts and try to make them sound not just impressive only alsoindustry-leading.

LG, in other words, loves to talk. The company loves making boldly worded announcements well-nigh its Android upgrade accomplishments. Just those declarations always end upwards being empty words — marketing-ready bragging rights, oft based on technicalities and with little meaningful activeness alongside them.

In 2014, for example, LG pushed out a press release praising the fact that it was the "first" manufacturer to ringlet out the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade to users. In reality, that rollout was a pocket-sized soak test for a limited number of device-owners in Poland, and it took a full three months for the software to reach anyone in the States — and some other 2 months for it to hitting the company's previous-gen U.S. flagship.

LG did the same thing with 2015's Android upgrade and fabricated a similar motion againwith 2016's OS rollout. The company even launched a major marketing campaign about having the "first new smartphone to be launched with Android 7.0," despite the fact that that simply wasn't true. Information technology's gotten to the signal where LG's Android-oriented press releases have basically get a joke amidst those of us who observe this area. As a sure smart-alecky writer once put information technology, the company truly does excel at one thing in this domain: being the first to announce a new Os rollout.

LG Software Upgrade Announcements JR

Sensing the pattern?

In reality, LG has still notwithstanding to evangelize 2017's Android 8.0 Oreo software to either its current-gen LG G6 flagship or its previous-gen LG G5 flagship. And today marks 235 days — nearly eight entire months — since Oreo'southward release. (The company did get Oreo out to its secondary V30 phone shortly after the half dozen-month mark, so that'southward something — but it'south however far from being adequate, allow alone laudable.)

LG says one of the outset initiatives of its "Software Upgrade Center," incidentally, will be getting Oreo out to the G6 ("later this month starting in Korea, followed by other key markets") — but if it takes creating and announcing an unabridged new division for y'all to get a major software update onto your current flagship eight months after the fact, I don't know that you should exist gloating.

I bring all of this up not to bash LG unnecessarily simply to provide a reality bank check to the company'southward reliably lofty words. This week'due south press release feels just a bear upon as well similar to all of LG'southward previous Android upgrade proclamations — and we all know how footling those turned out to mean in practical terms.

So LG, I actually desire to believe that this time is dissimilar — that this fourth dimension, you've inverse. I want to exist optimistic. But when you've made then many similarly 1000 and ultimately empty gestures in the past, well, it's difficult not to feel merely a teensy fleck skeptical.

Nosotros all know y'all're smashing at putting out impressive-sounding press releases, LG. Follow it upwardly with meaningful action this fourth dimension, and and so we'll talk.

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[Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld]

Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves upwardly tasty morsels most the human side of engineering. Hungry for more? Join him on Twitter or sign up for his weekly newsletter to become fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday.

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