Android updates to ...
 

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[Closed] Android updates to second hand phone with no contract?

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If I buy a second hand phone, or handset only deal, how do I get Android updates, as they wont be pushed out by my provider (GiffGaff) presumably?

I dont want to root the phone, but need a new handset and dont want to take up a contract to get one. A £160 Desire X will do nicely.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:07 pm
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My second hand Android phone still used to see updates when I checked for them despite being on O2 when it was originally on Vodafone.

It most likely looks to a central update site as opposed to carrier specific ones.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 1:11 pm
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Try the manufacturers website to see if you can download updates that way?


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 5:20 pm
 mrmo
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It can also be worth checking whether you can root the phone. Can give the option to install lots of different versions of android


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 5:44 pm
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The updates are carrier specific; even if you unlock the phone from the original network, the phone has a CID (IIRC) - Carrier ID - which identifies it as (say) an O2 handset.

You -should- still get updates from the source network, I think anyway. The way round it would be to root it and then reset the CID to 'generic' so you can install anything, or get the carrier-specific RUU.

I think.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 5:49 pm
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What about if you buy the phone sim free?
Having said that I'd rather keep my phone on an operating system I know works than upgrade to one it may not cope with.


 
Posted : 05/06/2013 6:13 pm