Software Updates
Although manufacturers have continually worked on software updates, and carriers have access to them, it is rare that either publicizes they exist. If a manufacturer advertises an update for a phone, it is essentially admitting it hit the store shelves in a less than perfect state, or worse, with an ugly bug. This situation is not as bad for carriers, as they could just blame the manufacturers.
However carriers have a different reason to avoid publicizing updates - typically they consider non-essential software upgrades too costly. If a carrier advertises a software upgrade for a certain model, or a whole family of phones, users would flood into carrier stores to have their phones updated. They would demand a significant amount of time and training from staff who the carriers would prefer to be selling new phones and contracts rather than dealing with old ones.
For example, In mid-2004, when Motorola and Nextel were made aware of a software problem affecting the aGPS in many of their newer phones. Breaking the traditional radio silence, they publicly informed subscribers of an available software update in monthly statements, on their website and beyond. Not only did they admit there was a problem, they urged subscribers to come into stores to have it fixed, or to download a patch themselves if they had a data cable. Unlike many software updates which are typically not critical, this fix was necessary for their subscribers' safety and for federal e911 compliance, justifying the exception.
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