See what you wrote though ? "As vendors .. start pushing new models".
There seems to be this acceptance on the Android platform that in order to get the latest OS you basically have to buy a new phone. It's quite extraordinary.
I don't disagree at all; you're inferring an argument I didn't make. Nonetheless uptake of ICS is increasing, and the driver is that vendors are shipping new handsets.
But they're also shipping at least as many new handsets with 2.3. Sony, Samsung and Motorola have all released new handsets in 2012 running 2.3. Until vendors stop shipping 2.3 on their new phones fragmentation will simply be a fact of life for android developers.
If I where to make a prediction, I suspect we're set for a future where Android 2 is the OS of choice for low end smart phones and Android 4 is the OS for high end smart phones, and developers who want to target both the high and low end of the market will be required to support both Android 2 and Android 4 for years to come.
There seems to be this acceptance on the Android platform that in order to get the latest OS you basically have to buy a new phone. It's quite extraordinary.