"Android is DROPPING the ball and will LOSE customers if they don't fix this issue ASAP"
Android and Google have nothing to do with it. They just make the operating system. It isn't their responsibility to hold manufacturers' hands getting it onto their devices (just like it's not Microsoft's responsibility to get newest versions of Windows onto Dell, HP, Sony, etc. PCs). Furthermore, I can guarantee you that the vast majority of Android users have no idea what version of Android their phone is running, so they're not going to lose any customers because the newest version of Android isn't on devices within a month of being released.
"What's the hold up %26amp; why are brand new android phones not coming preloaded with ICS?"
Your question title talked about phones getting updated but then you asked about them coming preloaded, so I'll answer both, starting with preloaded. Brand new android phones are not coming preloaded with ICS because of a number of factors. It takes manufactures some time to get all of the drivers and what not working (and tested) for a phone before they can release it. It's not just a matter of loading up the source code direct from Google and you're good to go. And all that effort is just if manufactures wanted to put stock Android on their device, which most do not. Most manufactures spend a shitload of time morphing stock android into their own piece of crap versions.
All of this stuff takes time. Couple that with the fact that phones being released today have been in development for over a year, before ICS was even conceived. They were completed and tested with Gingerbread so that is how they are being released. Now that ICS is out, manufactures can begin that long process I mentioned above, to start getting phones out with ICS preloaded probably starting second quarter of this year (maybe a few might trickle out sooner).
As for updating old phones, that is a similar situation in that the manufacture has to spend a lot of time developing/updating/testing drivers for their devices and making it all work with the newest version of Android (this is the case for all upgrades, not just ICS), and then don't forget all that time they have to spend to layer their own UI on top. The difference in this case is that they're not getting paid to do this. You already bought the phone. The manufacturer is in no way obligated to spend time and money that they don't get a return on to develop upgrades for phones that are already out the door. If you didn't like your phone when you bought it- If you bought it with the hopes that some day it could be something better than it was on that day, then that is all your own fault. The manufacturer doesn't owe you anything. Buy a phone that you like and can live with for the duration of your 2 year contract, and live with it. If you cant, then either buy off contract or upgrade the phone yourself. My HTC incredible that is 2 years old is running ICS very smoothly without any help from HTC or Verizon.What's the problem with ALL the latest Android phones getting updated to ICS?
Thanks Mike for the thoroughly informative answer!
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