Which Android manufacturer is the fastest to update its devices? Which carrier?

So which Android manufacturer is the fastest to update its devices? Lock in your response. Ok, the answer is, with an average time of 4.8 months, HTC. In second place is Samsung. Thanks to the quick 4.5 months it took to start updating the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Korean manufacturer was able to improve its average time to 6.9 months. Motorola was third with an average of 8.6 months to update. Besides that average, Motorola has received low marks for failing to update models like the Motorola DROID 3, Motorola ATRIX 4G and Motorola PHOTON 4G. LG was last with an average 11.8 months to update. Looking at the carriers, T-Mobile was the speediest with an average time of 5.8 months with Sprint coming in second with an average 6.5 months before update. Coming in third was AT&T which took an average of 7.8 months to update an Android model. And last, with an average of 8 months, is Verizon. Actually, that is no surprise as many of Big Red's customers have bitched about the slow updating at the nation's largest carrier. A case in point, look at the Samsung Galaxy S III's update to Android 4.1. Sprint was the first with the update in late October followed by T-Mobile which rolled out the update in mid November. In early December, AT&T subscribers had to pull the update out of Kies. Last Friday, Verizon started disseminating the update at last.

It's a no-brainer, but we should point out that if speedy updates are your thing, then the stock Android Nexus will always be the answer. On Sprint and Verizon, the Samsung GALAXY Nexus updated in only 2.5 months.

source: ArsTechnica via BGR

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World's largest carrier, China Mobile, to test TD-LTE service in March 2013

China Mobile, the world's largest carrier, is expected to begin testing its TD-LTE service in March, 2013. The carrier's proprietary 3G network is the reason why the Apple iPhone is not offered by the carrier, although that is expected to change once the LTE network is up and running. Last year, the mobile operator said that Apple had already agreed to build a version of its smartphone that will run over the TD-LTE pipeline. The testing of the TD-LTE network will start in Chengdu City, western China, with 1,200 TD-LTE base stations being operational. The trial will increase to 15,000 TD-LTE base stations in 21 districts in Chengdu. That figure includes 10,000 stations that will be upgraded from the current TS-SCDMA technology.

China Mobile's goal is to test 200,000 TD-LTE base stations throughout the country by the end of next year. Initial speeds will reach an average of 40Mbps downloading and 18Mbps uploading.  While China Mobile cannot yet carry the Apple iPhone, China Telecom and China Unicom can and the Apple iPhone 5 is expected to be launched on Friday from the two carriers.

source: Digitimes

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Google talks with Dish to start its own mobile carrier

And they should rename the phone's tethering app to "G-spot!" On second thought, they might want to pass on that one.

Either way, I am all for your idea. Knowing Google's business model, they'd probably provide excellent service for a lower price than the competition. At worst, it would be superior service at the same price, so I see this as a win-win. Count me in if it ever becomes a thing.

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