That's one of the things that makes OS X so stable and secure. Apple has experience with backwards compatibility, having made three major transitions (68K to PPC, OS 9 to OS X, PPC to Intel). Apple just keeps the backwards compatibility contained to a manageable level, and eventually removes it.
However the Android community can fix the bugs; iOS users must wait until Apple decides to get around to it.
Technically true. In reality, only a tiny minority of people are capable or willing to do that. The rest wait for the manufacturer update.
And that backwards compatibility (hardware and software) is why Windows dominates the desktop. Microsoft knows there's a stability hit when you do that, but it also keeps you with 92%+ of the market.
Technically true. In reality, only a tiny minority of people are capable or willing to do that. The rest wait for the manufacturer update.
I think you'll see it start moving to the Linux model, where the technically savvy/interested users will support the OS with patches and upgrades for existing deployments, and users will start uploading those patches. You don't need everyone to be capable of the updates, just a small handful, and everyone benefits.