Does anyone know when Android 12 might get released for the FP4? Historically it looks like it takes a year for FP to prepare a major Android release. I asked FP support a week ago, but no response yet. Maybe someone here already asked this question and got a reply?
I mainly want Android 12 because of the one-handed mode, which makes the size of the phone doable again.
I was a bit surprised to see that the FP4 doesnât have a one-handed mode already because I had one with my Samsung and I think also with my Huawei. Was this until now always a feature provided by the manufacturers and not an Android feature?
As far as I know AOSP got one-handed mode with Android 12. So I guess manufacturers made one themselves but not merged that with upstream Android perhaps.
Yeah, also admittedly it feels a little odd that the >2y old Note10 runs on Android12 already, even more so as it apparently must have taken some time for Samsung to heavily modify it.
So my gut feeling would be like: a naked A12 AOSP should have been there last year already? 
âSome timeâ may be a month for Samsung and a year for Fairphone
Anyway Android 12 was was released publicly on October 4, 2021 less than 6 months ago.
That your phone is over two years old is irrelevant to the OS
Android 11 on was released on September 8, 2020 and the FP4 a year and one month later.
Itâs not really a correct description when you say âreleased publiclyâ. Android is open-source, we already know what kind of future Pixel code names will be used because Android 13 beta is publicly available. A friend of mine was using Android 12 (beta) for at least 6 months before the stable version was released. He said he didnât experience any stability issues. There is not really a reason other than staff, priority and budgets why a phone system integrator should wait for the final version to start development for a major Android release.
Ok so nine months for the Andoid 12 i.e. (>0<1) ! (>2) years (May 18, 2021)
Hopefully, but what I meant was that it takes Fairphone on average a year to release a major Android version after the final version is released. So that will be around October. Since Android 11 debuted on the Fairphone 4, right? When that phone was released Android 12 was just released and Android 11 was a year old. I remember seeing a social media post from Fairphone 2 years ago that they celebrated their Android 10 release, when Android 11 was just released. But letâs see. Google has improved Android releases, where customizations are separate from the AOSP tree, project Treble. So maybe this pattern is different this time.
Just to avoid misunderstanding: FP2 is currently on Android 9, with Android 10 coming soon. FP3 is on Android 10 with Android 11 coming soon (both was predicted for Q1 2022). In the official FAQ for FP4, Android 12 is predicted for 2022.
Q: Why didn't you launch with A12?
A: Android 12 came out in July 2021. We would love to have launched Fairphone 4 with the latest Android version. However, it takes months of work from our team to develop software for a smartphone. We didn't have access to the Android 12 code early enough to base our software on Android 12 at launch. However, we will upgrade Fairphone 4 to Android 12 in 2022. Fairphone guarantees Android 12 and 13 for Fairphone 4 users.
We also aim to provide updates for Android 14 and 15. However, since Qualcomm will not offer support in the development, we cannot guarantee them.
I expect the FP4 to get Android 12 this year as well, but I guess it will be in Q4. Once I get a reply from FP support Iâll post an update. I hope it will be sooner, because that will sort of fix the clumsy size of the FP4.
Have âyouâ read
Q: Why didnât you launch with A12?
?
A: Android 12 came out in July 2021. We would love to have launched Fairphone 4 with the latest Android version. However, it takes months of work from our team to develop software for a smartphone. We didnât have access to the Android 12 code early enough to base our software on Android 12 at launch. However, we will upgrade Fairphone 4 to Android 12 in 2022. Fairphone guarantees Android 12 and 13 for Fairphone 4 users.
We also aim to provide updates for Android 14 and 15. However, since Qualcomm will not offer support in the development, we cannot guarantee them.
2022 has only started recently, my guess is indeed that they are only able to release Android 12 in Q4 of 2022. Iâm just hoping itâs going to be sooner this time. In my opinion their reasoning doesnât make sense Android 13 beta is already available. Android 12 beta was available a year ago. Android was available, but I can understand FP doesnât have the manpower to act quickly enough with 6 months, or 12 months by now.
My problem is that I specifically bought a FairPhone because I had to have a separate work phone from my personal phone, and my conscience told me to chose something environmental friendly.
However, my workplace doesnât accept a phone with Android 11 in April 2022 for security policy reasons. So, Iâm stuck with a nearly useless work phone.
I was told that FP4 would support Android updates for 4-5 years, but not that each update would be a year after initial launch⌠Iâm just disappointed, thatâs all, because my personal choice failed. Iâm sure itâs a legitimate rescource question on FairPhoneâs side, they do their best.
Out of curiosity, what does Android 12 offer as such a major security requirement for work? Android 10 also still has security support.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
Maybe your âemployersâ would clarify what security issue they are aware of with Android 11 Security patch 5th April
I wish I had the details in order to answer your question, itâs indeed a good question, but my customer does not release that kind of info. I guess they might have a broader sweeping security policy towards Android than just going by security update version, but thereâs little I can do, unfortunately.
I could ask them again, but Iâm not sure they will be willing to specify that. But for the industry as a a whole, itâs not good if they are setting the bar higher than what is reasonable or should be expected from a security standpoint.
Another solution is to fire the man at the security in your company 
if he has so poor understanding of his work 
Moreover a new version of android means new fonctions and new security breachs⌠Like we have seen many times in the past. And the internal social structure may face new socialed engeneered hackings.
Tel your IT to look at debian one of the most secure linux. They might understand that older software with no bugs is the way 
New features, yes. New security flaws are not a guarantee. They can be found in older supported software releases as well. Often new releases include security improvements. Such as better sandboxing and privacy controls. As is the case with Android 12.
Debian is not the most secure, or stable Linux distro for that matter. Much of the packages already donât have upstream support and the Debian security team is stretched. They canât backport and cherry pick every fix from upstream. They also donât have SELinux, secure boot and many other security features. Itâs a great distro, I use it too on my Piâs. But letâs not use Debian as the hallmark of secure design and practices. Debian also has plenty of bugs. The term stable refers to stable APIs and ABIs, not stable user experience. All major Linux distros that are non-rolling release have stable releases. And those with still upstream support benefit from faster fixes.
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