One of the big problems with the Android platform for users is knowing just when their Android smartphone may seen a new operating system upgrade, as in the past there have been many users waiting patiently for a new OS to hit their device.

And the guys of Engadget attended the questions and answers session at Google I/O 2011 where Andy Rubin and others. When asked how long it would take for Android smartphone to gain OS upgrades once Google has given the ok, apparently it’s a bit up in the air and still being “hashed out.”

Apparently Google said, “It’s a logistics problem.” However apparently the only “hard number” given was that of 18 months, so it would appear that Android upgrades look likely to have an 18 month cycle for the time being anyway.

Obviously getting all Android partners to stand by a hard and fast timeline for releasing OS updates must be a nightmare, however according to the article Google thinks that the stipulations will cripple the ability for users to innovate on their skins.

So basically for now it appears that the Android faithful could be looking at up to a year and a half cycle to get all updates to their device. What do our Android readers think about this, should Google do more to put pressure on partners to deliver upgrades more quickly?