[Epic 4G General] AproSamurai:
I wanted to put something of worth within this thread as a conversation topic, but it has become rather vexing trying to pick apart the compilation of sentences that the OP's has been using lol, though me saying I mean no offense would not help I don't think heh. :)

In regards to paying for an upgrade, it does occur in iOS when the next incremental upgrades come to the iPod Touch Line, for iPhone's a user is guaranteed that update due to being on a monthly plan with their device unless that device is gradually replaced in which case it goes no further upgrade wise as there is a new iteration close to it in price and internal size, if iPad's are affected in the same way being on carrier/off carrier I'm unaware, I also haven't upgraded my iPod Touch in a long while either to test the validity of that, so I'm open to correction. Though iOS has been on 5.x for a bit anyways.

In this case.

Android lacks something iOS does in this case, uniformity, which is how Apple portrays their control over their platform and why it's so popular and simple to use, they limit what can be used and what is used and set a basis forward to keep compatibility in the long run. The Nexus Line is controlled by Google and their partner in each step of the way, more by Google however because they essentially get to pick and choose what they want which works well in the whole grand scheme of things, which means timely updates are to come. They don't have control over LG, HTC, Sony, or Samsung for that matter in their other endeavors in Android and what "crap"(lack of more proper word) that's proprietary they decide to put within the platform for the sake of bragging rights, they're their own entities which for the most part have added to the overall disconnection of Android across the board. Buying out that specific aspect of Motorola was a play for patents to avoid lawsuit not a play for control.

Saying you'd pay money for an update to Android on your phone becomes problematic, in our case, ICS. If you paid $10 because you to have the update when it came out, in the following months it'd be very likely it'd have problems, and you'd be the prime benefactor of said problems. You paid $10 for an update, now what about the update to address that issue? Or the update following that update to address the following issues? Or what if you paid for an update and never got an update in the long run, just for the sake of not having one?

Would those be paid as well? I'm only throwing forth baseless scenarios, because this arrives to the entitlement aspect of things. Paying to get an update makes you entitled to said update, when a company can G.A.F less about an older piece of hardware having support when they've devices in their minds which are twice as good as last years model. I understand where you're going with this thread but, paying for your update in software wouldn't make the fact that your phone is aging any better, nor would it make Android any more uniform, it'd only make it more annoying of a platform due to it. It's not a better alternative than just waiting it out on what you're currently using until you can upgrade your line to something new. Spending more money to have your phone officially supported is rather foolish. In my opinion though.

/endrant

And essentially the Epic isn't EOL/EOS. It just happens to be on it's last legs. So whether it's last update is stable or not won't matter at that point.