For top-range or upper-midrange Android devices, updates are increasingly supported for longer periods of time, while lower-midrange and entry-level phones have a difficult time supporting these updates.

Issuing updates is highly dependent on the chipset maker because the company still has to actively support the SoC.

For cheaper models, the support window usually ends sooner than more expensive models.

According to SVP and General Manager of Handsets at Qualcomm, Chris Patrick, the company has been attempting to make it easier for OEMs to keep phones updated.

“It is very complicated for a customer — an OEM — to get security updates, to get Android version updates, and then get it to every end user. It’s actually very expensive and very complicated. One of the things we’ve been working on for the past several years with Google and with the OEMs is to change the structure of inline code — to kind of change the machinery for how we do those updates.”

“You’ll see that, later on this year, we’ll make some announcements about some of those changes we’ve made to facilitate this and help the whole ecosystem keep Android phones closer to up to date.”

He revealed this has been a concern for Qualcomm for a while, and now they are addressing it.

There are currently no further details, however, Qualcomm is set to hold its annual Snapdragon Summit this October. There’s an expectation an announcement will be made then.

This won’t change all devices instantly, but gives hope updates will arrive more regularly for all devices.