[Fairphone 1] Fisher_AZ:
Thanks for the update, Joe. Glad to hear that the OTA update can reasonably be expected shortly. It's also good to see that the longer wait is compensated by a longer list of fixes than was originally announced for v.1.2. Bigger, but less frequent updates are a good thing imho, especially given that there are a few extra steps to be taken to re-install/activate Google Play, which I just read requires a few extra steps for those using a custom launcher (such as Holo or Nova Launcher), cfr. https://fairphone.zendesk.com/hc/communities/public/questions/200752183-Update-kills-Play-store

I can only speak for myself with certainty, but I think there is a lot of understanding for your predicament among Fairphone customers / participants, including the more tech-oriented ones here on XDA. In my experience, people tend to get annoyed not so much by a lack of results, but rather by a lack of communication. If you announce on OTA update for end March and then not post anything after April 1 (until now), then some impatience from customers is equally understandable. As silly as it sounds, checking in once a week and posting "no news yet, we're still working on it" would have alleviated some of that.

On the longer-term issue of the KitKat update, I also think most people understand that you're at the mercy of MediaTek for that. But the concern is legitimate: if an update to 4.4 can't be guaranteed, what chance will we have of ever getting 5.x ? This risks jeopardizing one of the main points of Fairphone, i.e. a smartphone that you don't have to discard after 18 months. Getting Android updates isn't just about having the very latest OS. It is mainly about getting stability and security fixes at the OS level. And it is about unlocking new possibilities. Just as an example: I am about to buy a really neat gadget that uses Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy to interact with a smartphone. The FP1 includes a BT LE radio, so hardware-wise I'm ready to go. However, BT LE is only supported in Android 4.3 and up. So right now, I couldn't use that gadget simply because of the already outdated OS, but I'm hoping Fairphone will have a KitKat update by the time my gadget ships (September or so). This just to illustrate that it isn't simply abstract, it can be something really practical as well. In that regard I have to agree that the "Luckily, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and 4.1/4.2 (Jelly Bean) are actually the dominant Android versions in the market now. [...]" quote was a bit unfortunate. Although it was probably reassuring for a majority of users, for the more tech-minded customers it comes across as if you're trying to weasel out of your commitment to keep Fairphone up-to-date.

1. This is the first time I hear of Guohong. Or is that just another name for A'hong ?

2. Until now, I assumed that Kwamecorp was able to work on minor OS updates independently from A'hong. From your update, I conclude that A'hong is a necessary partner even for minor updates (i.e. within the same Android version). That probably makes sense, it's just that's it not how I recall how Kwame's role was presented in the beginning. Of course it also makes you even more dependent on A'hong. Once you have the time to write a more in-depth answer w.r.t. software development for the Fairphone (i.e. the chain: MTK -> A'hong -> Kwame -> Fairphone), it would be good if you could include a discussion of that. In the current setup, who decides what and who does which part of the work ? Will this setup be changed for the next Fairphone (2015 version) ? An elaboration on this will be fascinating reading I think, because the more time goes by, the less I understand how the responsibilities for software maintenance are divided currently.

All the best, (and please check in regularly)

Fisher_AZ