The Small Wave.

Let’s start off with Android updates for Moto’s smartphones available in the US. Here’s the list of devices, and the expected updates…

As the fragmentation of Android phones continues, I wonder about those who bought Android because they thought it was a good phone that would get better with updates.

Oops.

Let's see what U.S. Motorola Android users can expect in terms of updates (international users fare no better): 

Motorola Droid X – Android 2.2 Froyo update to start in “late summer” (as previously rumored)

The X is only a month old but shipped with the old 2.1 version of Android. It could get 2.2 in a month, and if so will finally be on the current version.

Motorola Droid – Android 2.2 update “currently rolling out in phases”

The original Droid gets 2.2 before the X, though it's still rolling out now. Like the X, the phone will then be current.

Is it that it takes so long to test devices for the current version, or that so little emphasis is placed on updating? That the latter is likely is shown by the updates below, which will not even make the phones current.

Motorola Cliq and Cliq XT – Android 2.1 updates “planned for late Q3/early Q4” (no Froyo, huh?)

No current version for these, but they can update to the old 2.1 version in another month. Or two. These phones are only nine and six months old, respectively. There's at least 15 months left on a 24-month contract but they're already outdated. 

Motorola Backflip – Android 2.1 should be available in Q3

Just like the Cliqs. Released only five months ago but won't get the current Android version. 

Motorola Devour – no plans for an Android 2.1 update, sadly

The Devour is only six months old, yet "devour" is exactly what Motorola did to the phone's chance of getting even the old 2.1 version. Maybe Devour users should've bought a Backflip or Cliq instead—they wouldn't be as badly outdated—but how were they to know?

Let's summarize:

• By "late summer" two recent phones should finally be current.
• By "early Q4" three recent phones should get an old version.
• One recent phone will get diddly-squat.

That's bad news any way you look at it. And don't think it's just Motorola, others are being just as stingy with Android updates.

This major weakness of the Android platform is usually glossed over (not by me). Rather than articles that critique Android's partners for weak update support—or for not pushing the platform forward—it's mentioned in passing, if at all, before discussing how nice 2.2 is. They don't mention that running the current version of Android is the equivalent of a private club to which the vast majority of its users will never be invited.