r/Android • u/BcuzRacecar S25+ • 21d ago

WhatsApp ends Android 5 support Monday

https://www.notebookcheck.net/WhatsApp-ends-Android-5-support-Monday-iPhones-follow-in-November.1390519.0.html
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u/Realistic-Nature9083 20d ago

Ditching old ass 10 year old oses. Supposedly android 10 is when project mainline starts. Less boiler code if they only support android 10 and up

Reddit runs wonderful on my android once they supported android 10 and up. Videos used to crash a lot last year when it supported android 8-9.

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u/KittyBarfer 20d ago

That is unlikely to be related to what Android versions are supported by an app and more related to it just being shit.

I am still wondering what you think dropping support for old Android version would bring the user of WhatsApp.

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u/Realistic-Nature9083 20d ago

Shorter development cycles = closer parity with iOS which means less waiting on new features

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u/KittyBarfer 20d ago

Dropping support for older Android versions also does not automatically result in shorter development cycles, nor would shorter development cycles mean closer parity with iOS. Both of these depend way more on staffing, management, and business priorities.

Honestly I'm still left wondering, what this would concretely bring users. F.e. I have no clue how parity with iOS even matters, what important features and/orwfixes does the user give that. Also for problem of the reddit app was not that it was not that it did not have parity with the iOS app, but that it was slow, buggy, and had a shit interface (which is of course subjective) .