Geek level: medium.
Via Gizmodo, here is far-and-away the most comprehensive thing I've seen about the business of upgrading smartphone operating systems, why Android devices are seemingly slow to get upgraded, the actual story with Apple's iOS upgrades. . .
Why Android Updates Are So Slow
If there is one complaint we hear from Android users more than any other, it's the speed at which software updates arrive. Or don't arrive. It's especially tough on tech enthusiasts who read about all the advantages of the new update, but can't get it on their own devices for six months, if at all. Even brand new devices typically fail to launch with the latest version of Android. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus—a marquee Android flagship if there ever was one—only got its new Jelly Bean (Android 4.2) update today.
This has been going on for years. So what the hell? Why hasn't the problem been fixed? And who's to blame here? We asked Android manufacturers, carriers, and Google what the hold-up was. And, what a tangled web we found.
Full story at link -- covers wha goes into an upgrade, why there seems to be hold-ups, why Apple's experience is seemingly better, and what can be done/what are your options.