Crazy idea alert!!!!
Is it possible to split security and feature releases... this goes for both iOS and Android.
This way a device can be kept up to date from a security point of view, but new features are reserved for compatible hardware.
Windows manages this in a desktop environment by having "important" and "optional" updates. You would just need to lock certain optional updates out by Hardware ID.
Sure you may find your two year old device still gets slower, same as windows does with successive updates. but the main element of slowness will be your old device trying to run up to date features.
This will certainly reduce fragmentation on Android devices and you can even still keep the e-penis element of it alive by saying my device is on 4.4.4+/iOS8+ or 4.4.4/iOS8 Full Fat or whatever you want to call it. you can then have the same I want new shiny shiny factor the day your device loses its + or FF status.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
