system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why can't Android get updates like Windows does, bypassing the phone's manufacturer?

Both Windows and Android have to deal with vast number of devices of various manufacturers, but Windows can update itself while Android can't. I thought this might be caused by how phones need to be optimized for power and performance, but so do laptops.

Edit: In short, why doesn't Android devices get updates at the same time like Windows does?
gpt
first of all, every manufacturer (besides of nexus series) is tinkering with android. so there is almost no "pure android" besides of official google products. this means that every manufacturer needs to change android.

second thing, drivers. windows have many drivers, many things is plug and play, it doesn't work that way with android. android needs to be light, needs to be optimized for hardware. they can't add drivers for every part, it needs to be tested and needs to work on particular phone (or sometimes series of phones).

edit: there can be even more delay if it's changed by operator. in this case it looks like this:

google is releasing new android -> manufacturer is changing it (like TouchWiz) -> operator is changing it (like adding even more bloatware).

i'm not sure it's big case in USA, but probably is.