So, for the last couple of years, ZTE was making a point to keep their devices supported with up-to-date software. They were a bit on the slow side, but devices got their updates eventually, including new features and other improvements.
Then, recently, the US Department of Commerce banned American companies from exporting goods to ZTE for seven years. This means that they can no longer acquire things like Qualcomm processors. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade followed in the US’s footsteps and banned companies in Taiwan from selling to ZTE, which also rules out sourcing from companies like MediaTek.
At around the same time, ZTE was wrapping up their Oreo update beta. A new wave of participants was added for a couple of weeks, and then it was announced that the program has ended. The export ban occurred between those two points. This could have meant that they were ready to release, and it could have also meant that they gave up.
It'll just keep doing this… over and over…
Now, if you attempt to run ZTE’s system update app, it just spins forever – they shut their update servers down. It looks like they gave up.
So… yeah. That sucks. It was a good phone, too.
Good phones and a bad
Good phones and a bad Carrier/OEM OS update model if users have to get OS updates from the device’s OEM or carrier. That’s an Android OS problem where the OS is so Device-OEM customizied that It can not get updates from the OS’s marker.
I have a Samsung ON5 to replace my feature flip-phone whoes GSM only radio was no longer able to get reception in the building where I live(T-Mobile took the better propergating of the 3 GSM bands on its cell towers and used the channels for other uses).
So my T-Mobile Pay As You Go Legacy service has no data plan assoicated with the legacy account so no OS updates for me. The ON5 has G3/G4 cell connectivity but that legacy service plan has no data so no updates can be sent to the Phone.
I’m Not Giving up my legacy account as that Pay As you Go means my phone bills averages less than $10 monthly if I do not use excessive minutes at 10 cents per min and I refill my minutes for phone service by refill card.
Android and its OS update by the OEM/Carrier requirement is the real problem here and that’s Google’s Fault for not creating an OS that Google can update from its servers and not the device’s OEM.
The Good news is that T-Mobile now offers a Feature Flip Phone with a G3/G4 radio as GSM Radio connectiviry has gone by by for most carriers anyways. But the ON5 is such an nice little phone with all that Android stuff turned off to the best of my ability. So I never am able to download anyway without a data service plan and the wifi is truned off/disabled so no worries there. I just have to live with any risks but I only use the phone to make and recieve phone calls.
Android’s OS and security update download model is more to blame for this issue than the trade restrictions On ZTE for some sanctions violations. Google should be forced to fix that issue as it’s Google’s Android OS that’s the issue because Google should be doing the OS updates not the device’s OEM.
That Samsung ON5 is one of the last Smartphines with a replacable battery and I’ll not replace the phone until it stops working anyways! I was not ready to replace the Samsung Flip Phone either buy that GSM Radio Connectivity going by by forced me to update at the time to the ON5 as there where no g3/g4 enabled feature flip-phones availale for purchase at the time.
Be careful with who makes your phone and if the maker violates any snactions that’s going to be a big problem for any users who need to get OS updates from the Phones maker/OEM. And that includes your service carrier/provider also as they are bad about providing OS/Security updates sanctions are not on any OEM smartphones that they offer to their customers.
Maybe Google will do better with their In-house custom OS Kernel but then it will not be linux Kernel based. I’d rather have a cell phone with a minimal OS that does not make use of any app ecosystem! Just give me the abilaity to meke and recieve phone calls and recieve simple text mesaages from my carrier.
There was no reason to begin
There was no reason to begin the article with the word “So”. “For the last couple of years” is what the reader would expect.
I can understand you having a subconscious, habitual Silicon Valley speech pattern, but how the hell does it affect your writing too?
this is the new way “so” has
this is the new way “so” has become the new “errr” . it is outrageous , and i am flabbergasted. Even young politicians do it. Dont get me started on the inane and repetitive insertion of “like” into every sentence.
only thing missing is a
only thing missing is a “valley-girl” accent
American politics. How
American politics. How nice….
You can still download 8.0
You can still download 8.0 Oreo for the ZTE Axon 7 via different websites. The XDA developers have a good handle on this issue and are just one place to download and install Oreo 8.0 for the Axon 7. There are also a few YouTube videos covering how to install it.
Not to mention that lately
Not to mention that lately every new android release has brought less breakthroughs than in the past. If the phone is decent now, it won’t degrade or something. Custom ROMs are bonus
Interesting about Taiwan cutting them off, too. Any ideas why this happened?
Not a great idea, at this
Not a great idea, at this point most Android updates are patching vulnerabilitys to attack (and pointless updates to the keyboard, cuz hey, the keyboard team needs to justify their paychecks) so the LAST thing you Wana happen is all of the sudden,your phone bricks, locks on power on, then goes 20 gig over your data plan minning coin, all because your “just fine” phone is still running KitKat.
Not a good plan
OTA servers work now cause I
OTA servers work now cause I got the B35 firmware for the axon 7.