> First, Android hasn't solved the updating problem.
Sure it has - buy a nexus device, get updates. The rest isn't Google's problem as they aren't Google's devices.
> It lacks code-signing
Wrong.
> Apps have access to a shell.
So? The shell they can access can't do anything the app can't. That's like saying apps can run code - no shit, what's your point?
> App Permissions, though many people think they help with this problem, actually have nearly no effect whatsoever on the ability to root/jailbreak/privilege escalate on Android.
Of course they don't, because those are completely unrelated. iOS's code signing and other stuff hasn't stopped it from getting jailbroken. Complex systems have bugs, who'd have guessed it?
Also rooting is an actual feature on some Android phones (such as all Nexus ones) - not an exploit.
> Apps can dynamically update their own code at runtime.
Yup, and as a result Android users get to enjoy real web browsers, for example. And languages with JITs.
> If you wanted to develop a mobile/embedded platform to bring a new generation of users onto the web and into your customer base, you should have spent about 5 minutes figuring out how to do it without opening them up to harm. Android is the way it is because it wasn't believed these design features (aka safety) couldn't be included in the beginning.
Wrong. Android is easily the most securely designed OS out there that still allows side loading, period. Not claiming it is the most secure, as there are obviously bugs, but the most securely designed. Desktop OSes are incredibly bad here, and iOS only manages to prevent it by stripping you of all your freedom.
I'm getting tired of this. If you want to stick your head in the sand and ignore the data, then fine. Try and ignore this: 50% of all Android devices have unpatched vulnerabilities for which exploits exist.
Sure it has - buy a nexus device, get updates. The rest isn't Google's problem as they aren't Google's devices.
> It lacks code-signing
Wrong.
> Apps have access to a shell.
So? The shell they can access can't do anything the app can't. That's like saying apps can run code - no shit, what's your point?
> App Permissions, though many people think they help with this problem, actually have nearly no effect whatsoever on the ability to root/jailbreak/privilege escalate on Android.
Of course they don't, because those are completely unrelated. iOS's code signing and other stuff hasn't stopped it from getting jailbroken. Complex systems have bugs, who'd have guessed it?
Also rooting is an actual feature on some Android phones (such as all Nexus ones) - not an exploit.
> Apps can dynamically update their own code at runtime.
Yup, and as a result Android users get to enjoy real web browsers, for example. And languages with JITs.
> If you wanted to develop a mobile/embedded platform to bring a new generation of users onto the web and into your customer base, you should have spent about 5 minutes figuring out how to do it without opening them up to harm. Android is the way it is because it wasn't believed these design features (aka safety) couldn't be included in the beginning.
Wrong. Android is easily the most securely designed OS out there that still allows side loading, period. Not claiming it is the most secure, as there are obviously bugs, but the most securely designed. Desktop OSes are incredibly bad here, and iOS only manages to prevent it by stripping you of all your freedom.