android: This is why MediaTek phones get Android updates slower than Qualcomm as per Xiaomi executive

Android 12 stable release rolled out last month to eligible Pixel phones. However, other Android OEMs need to wait a bit longer. There has reportedly been some buzz that phones running on Qualcomm SoCs get Android updates faster than those running on Mediatek. According to a report in GizmoChina, Xiaomi executive Li Ming has now provided an explanation for this.
According to Ling, Google usually gives both Qualcomm and MediaTek the necessary code in advance. This helps the companies get a headstart in prep for upcoming Android updates. “This does save a considerable amount of time as opposed to making the code available after an Android stable release,” says Lim as per the report.
Lim further adds that this is, however, where the differences between the two chip giants come. As per him, since Qualcomm seemingly has a larger team this enables the company to work in parallel and deliver all packages required for an update process at once. “MediaTek, on the other hand, delivers them in batches which is slower and results in some MTK platform phones getting placed in the second or third batch of updates,” said Lim.
He termed upgrades on a batch basis as “also an inevitable choice.” He further goes on to add that while the main reason for going for them is lack of manpower, the batch upgrades also help save trouble to the company in case there are issues. This is because if any bug comes in the code, it can be isolated to a certain batch and fixed without affecting a large number of devices.