Re: Hold on, if I read this right
You don't need to write Android apps in Java you can also write them in C/C++.
If they had gone for an Android Open Source option on decent hardware and avoided Google Play Services then they could have extended the life of the phones and kept secure for as long as they wanted.
At least with an open source option you aren't at the mercy of the Big Company to decide when you have to move on. A team hacking, maintaining and securing both the apps and the OS could have created a good solution not only for the NYPD but a service they could also resell to other state and federal agencies.