The author states that updating "older" products really has no return for Samsung (or other manufacturers), and is actually a form of cannibalization with their new products.<p>That of course is just classic "planned obsolescence", long criticized as wasteful, and injurious to your customers.<p>This is exacerbated by Samsung's (and other manufacturer's) rooting policies. As the author notes, not only will Samsung not maintain products just a few months old, but they make it very difficult for consumers to maintain the products on their own. In this case, rooting a Samsung android product voids the warranty.<p>Are there other industries like this? Where we are okay with a manufacturer never updating, or even fixing the bugs, of a very expensive product just months after they release it? And made worse by accepting that company's actions to make it hard/impossible/unacceptable for third parties to work on it?<p>(Perhaps cars are turning into this model. It used to be that it was not a big deal to take your car to your favorite mechanic, but now I gather, various forms of IP lock-in or just plain expensive required diagnostic tools are creating a barrier for independent mechanics.)<p>I would like to think that supporting older android products for at least two years is profitable. Does supporting the Galaxy S as opposed to forcing purchase of a Galaxy Nexus really result in cannibalization? The answer of course is no, what it does is help you KEEP a customer from going to Apple, or HTC, or Motorola. And that customer when their machine is too old will remember all your frequent updates and understand Samsung, that you take care of your customers, and buy your Galaxy S III.<p>The customer that understands you won't support them will be gone. Just like that.