Baseport 9/10/11/(n) for Xperia XA2 and 10
asked 2019-11-20 15:48:38 +0200
I want to raise awareness that the problem with
"If we’d only support new adaptation with SW updates would mean that old users would need to reflash their devices or they would stop getting updates." https://blog.jolla.com/sailfish-x-sony-xperia-10/
also apply to Xperia XA2 and 10.
Google is forcing manufactures to use only Android >10 starting with 31. January 2020. Applications developers will adapt to it with a latency.
How will the situation with SFOSX look like in lets say 14 months? Is my Xperia 10 (bought today) then obsolete (because updated applications need a current Android environment?).
The question about supporting two baseports or only one and if one which one must be still discussed and answered! (about reflashing: compared to iOS and Android where the OS is preinstalled, we (userbase) all are more or less familiar with flashing our devices!)
Or we will end up at the same situation of Xperia X. https://together.jolla.com/question/217178/baseport-8-for-x-if-its-only-about-flashing/
(i bought two of these Xperia X devices and now its only usable to scratch the ice of my car window - not literally but just to show the internal emotional state).
My focus point is:
In the boundaries of the supported time window of upstream (Sony), there will be a baseport jump. Like it happend to Xperia X. And Jolla already forces to stay with baseport 9 for Xperia 10. https://jolla.com/install-sailfish-x-xperia-10-linux/ . So the issue about supporting baseport upgrades should be addressed!
I guess the issue here is Google pushing for planned obsolescence, because your query applies for Android phones too. Most only get 1 or 2 major updates, for example Xperia X won't get Android 9, maybe XA2 won't get Android 11, etc.
Even still, with Xperia X or XA2, if you use Android, you'll have to throw your phone in 2-3 years (literally scratching the ice of your car window), not only because new applications won't work, but also you'll have an unmaintained Android with no updates to core OS or its security. So basically, an ice scratcher.
With SFOSX, you still get updates for the OS, and the phone is still usable and bugs fixed and new features added for years to come (only Android layer may not always be up to date).
Jolla and the community can try to keep an Android layer up to date, but it's a wider problem in mobile computing. The solution is not technical, nor Jolla or the community's responsibility to find one. It's about planned obsolescence and a push for long-term support, circular economy, having a stable API for years, etc.
orangecat ( 2019-11-20 16:09:09 +0200 )editGoogle is trying to fight ones of Android weakneses that is fragmentation. It hurts them to support so many releases and it was pointed as major problem of Android ecosystem many times. Vendors are the ones to blame for lack of updates. In regard to availability of OS updates for older phones, it is true for official releases, but if you take a look at Sony AOSP project (which is a base for Xperia Sailfish ports) you'd see Android 10 support for all the Xperias starting from X family and up.
https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/get-started/supported-devices-and-functionality
Xeno_PL ( 2019-11-20 16:24:06 +0200 )editI for one would like to hear this from a primary source. Looks like Android versions up to 10 can still run on the same kernel version that we already have with the current "Baseport 8". That is not everything, but what's saying with an lxc layer in-between that isn't good enough? How do you know?
attah ( 2019-11-20 17:14:35 +0200 )editI mean, more or less, it's important make a indepedance of Google Android binaries, and make a objective to 3rd part enviroments like a Andbox, isn't it.
Zose ( 2019-11-20 17:34:41 +0200 )editDespite the issue about the obsolescence. My focus point is more:
In the boundaries of the supported time window of upstream (Sony), there will be a baseport jump. Like it happend to Xperia X. And Jolla already forces to stay with baseport 9 for Xperia 10. https://jolla.com/install-sailfish-x-xperia-10-linux/ . So the issue about supporting baseport upgrades should be addressed!
Leon ( 2019-11-20 17:49:53 +0200 )edit