One of the best features of owning a Google Nexus device is being first in line to receive the latest version of Android. If you own a device from other manufactures you are left waiting for the manufacturer to add their own flavor to Android before releasing the update, which could take several months.
Now it looks like this may change with the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) looking to offer Nexus-like software updates to non Nexus devices and this may start with the Sony Xperia S
Since Sony has been one of the better manufacturers when it comes to submitting their device updates to AOSP, AOSP’s own Jean-Baptiste Queru suggests that Google is experimenting with offering direct AOSP experience to the Sony Xperia S.
The Xperia S selection has been cited to its powerful hardware and unlockable bootloader and the fact that it is a GSM device. Queru is currently working on building the git framework for this project by pulling together the kernel and makefiles for the Xperia S.
Does this mean that we will start seeing other manufacturers follow suite, allowing users the option to receive their updates through the AOSP instead of having to wait for the manufacturer to release their customized versions of Android? It looks very likely.
It is also important to remember that manufacturers are not happy with Microsoft’s approach of reducing their opportunity for customization. Google will have to build Android in a way that manufacturers can apply their customization as an update to an AOSP update so users can have the latest version of Android almost as soon as it is released.
This of course would rely on your device being a GSM device with an unlockable bootloader, and not for CDMA device on Sprint or Verizon.
source – Google AOSP Group