Google released the official Android 9.0 Pie update on August 6. The update hit the Pixel and Pixel 2 family of devices after the official announcement. Unfortunately, most smartphone owners won’t see the update hit their non-Pixel devices anytime soon. Fragmentation in the Android ecosystem means that new versions of the operating system take weeks, or even months, to hit other smartphones. Then again, one non-Pixel device did receive the Android 9.0 update on release day: the Essential Phone.
Essential Phone: A Relatively Unknown Device
Since being released in late 2017, the Essential Phone has received frequent updates. Essential Products manufactures the device, and it’s not a major smartphone manufacturer. Nonetheless, a commitment to security and regular updates propels the company forward. Security patches are often pushed to the Essential Phone within hours of being released by Google for its Pixel smartphones. No other company comes close to Essential when it comes to providing timely updates, not even the largest smartphone manufacturers.
Where Other Manufacturers Stand With Android OS Updates
Most smartphone manufacturers struggle to push security updates to their Android devices within 30 days of official release. When it comes to major OS version releases, the updates often take six to ten months on average. If a manufacturer pushes the update within six months, that company is often seen as proactive among Android users. The worst manufacturers may not release a major OS update for relatively new devices. In simple terms, fragmentation hurts consumers because updates rarely arrive in a timely manner.
What’s New In Android 9.0 Pie?
Android 9.0 Pie brings new artificial intelligence features to the operating system. Also, adaptive battery features and a new gesture navigation setup are present. The Pie update further refines the Android operating system and tweaks the design slightly. Users will notice improved battery life and a smoother user interface after receiving the update. Pie doesn’t make too many major overhauls of the operating system, but these small changes set the OS up for major improvements in the next couple years.
Essential Products has performed an incredible feat in giving the Essential Phone Android Pie on release day. Likely, no other manufacturer will match this accomplishment in the next few years. Nokia is one of the few manufacturers that provides timely updates to its Android devices, but its updates still take a few weeks on average. Although Essential Products is experiencing financial struggles, the company has shown that Android fragmentation isn’t a proper excuse for not updating devices in swift fashion.
