People Are Not Buying Many New Phones Anymore (and That's a Problem for Google/Android)
ONE need not possess very advanced analytical or statistical skills (the buzzwords of the day include "big data") to interpret the graph above. It just makes perfect sense as fewer people are buying a new "smart" phone with the latest version of Android preloaded. It seems like Google is struggling to 'herd' users into the latest features and antifeatures (lots more spying), including Orwellian restrictions. One could argue this is good for the environment/planet but bad for security of mobile devices (not that newer always means safer!). One might say this means that people still use versions of Android with less spying bolted onto them.
Either way, that's where we are today. Data regarding sales of "smart" phones seems to support our hypothesis and the premise that forcing people to buy more of the same is getting harder. Microsoft's Vista 11 has suffered similarly from the sharp decrease in PC sales.
Will more people install freer systems on existing hardware? Like throwing GNU/Linux on an "old" Windows-encumbered PC or some non-Googled (unGoogled) version of 'Android' on an "old" phone? █