Hey, google/android peoples. Here's a proposal: shame *every* licensee into releasing official unlockers for *every* Android phone ever released.  The unlocker should just install an open bootloader that can install whatever ROM the user wishes (it can scream loudly at the user that they are voiding their warranty, of course).

To be clear; not for upcoming, or recently released devices only.  For *every* phone ever.  Then we might begin to feel that a licensee cares an iota about keeping Android up to date.  I know they don't, but heck, at least that way users don't have to jump through a dozen hoops just to get a Cyanogen or similar ROM on their phone when the manufacturer abandons them.

Sure, making an iTunes-like financial incentive to keep users up to date would be nice too. But that takes a lot of engineering effort versus signing some image that can be uploaded to the phones.