But Android also lets you run custom builds, and my 2016 phone runs the latest OS. Sure not everyone does this, but unlike iOS I can take care of it myself.
> my 2016 phone runs the latest OS. Sure not everyone does this, but unlike iOS I can take care of it myself.
"not everyone" is an understatement.
That's a solution for you (and the dozens - dozens! - of people doing the same), in practice it is not for 99% of Android users, therefore, again in practice, there's a huge fleet of devices with out-of-date software out there.
> But Android also lets you run custom builds
That's not even counting that:
- many Android manufacturers make it non-trivial† to root/unlock/flash a build and/or make it blow a warranty fuse, and that's if it's even possible at all.
- usually the camera goes ape shit, and often loudspeaker audio quality too.
- unless you relock the bootloader it immediately compromises security and makes bootloader updates nontrivial as unlocking again clears the device.
Mind you, this is a fine, intellectually satisfying strategy for you and me to be able to flash open builds, but it's by and large an extremely fringe strategy, and it's been shown over a decade that it's staying that way.
† Often involving downloading random flashing tools from obscure forums, that run only on Windows, some of these being one shot and requiring to plug in magic numbers corresponding to your exact device, and if you screw it up the device is bricked (e.g Samsung). Or the unlocking is on a low-write-count chip and once you exceed that limit the device is bricked (e.g OnePlus). I know, I've been there, bricked a few, recovered only one through JTAG.
Does it really let you run custom builds when it zeroes out proprietary firmware blobs on many models, turning your fancy camera into a shitty basic one? Or what about the million proprietary blobs you would need for full functionality — will those also get patched?
Yes, but that is only one component of a modern phone. Basebands and system bootloaders, among other firmwares, don't receive updates. Those are regularly attacked.
