In the spirit of continued transparency, I wanted to share a quick update on where we’re at with our Android Lollipop rollout process. We’ve been working hard in the labs with Google and our carrier partners ever since the code release and are making great progress so far, but if you’ve been following the progress of this rollout you will know that Google has had to address several issues with this release. We’ve been diligently working to fix some of them on our end and incorporating Google’s fixes as quickly as possible, but despite everyone’s best efforts some carrier versions of the HTC One (M8) and HTC One (M7) will not meet our 90 day goal, which is February 1st. While we are committed to delivering within this time period, we are even more committed to ensuring these updates result in an even better experience with your device because that is what the updates are intended to do.
I applaud HTC for doing everything it can to reach its own 90 day promise, and it really sucks for them and their customers that bugs from Google itself causes delays. Android updates remain an utter and total mess, and by far Android’s biggest weakness.
Well done HTC. This press release has pretty juicy undertones. Google is clearly out of control in a number of areas regarding Android.
Yeah, and the worst part is that instead of communicating with their customers like HTC did here, Google usually just leaves them in the dark, not knowing WTF is going on. This goes for a great many number of things.
This makes me happy to have chosen an HTC One M8 to replace my old piece of shit phone. I always appreciate doing business with an open, honest company. The fact that it’s a damn nice phone is just a welcome side effect.
the Windows Phone version of the M8…
If you don’t want updates from Microsoft instead of Google.
Unless you subscribe to the Windows Insider / “Preview For Developers” program (as I did with WP8 towards WP8.1). In that case, you get pretty upgrades ahead of the mass, good stability and flawless updating wrt your data (at least in my experience). 🙂
When you upgrade, not when you buy new devices. And in that matter numbers shines for Android. So why fixing a non-existent issue in the first place ? Just buy another device, there’s so cheap anyway, and you’ll grow Android figures so that they could auto congratulate themselves for having such a skyrocketing superior product.
Your writing makes me sad and the point you tried to make is almost lost.
You still got the gist of it. There’s no need to be rude. It’s fairly common for people to gain proficiency in a second language through use of it on the Internet.
Cheap? I got an HTC One M8 through Sprint not too long ago, no contract, but with financing–and I can tell you, that fucker wasn’t cheap. In fact, I’ll probably be paying it off for quite a while. I really have no idea what you’re talking about… cheap?
I assume Kochise was making the point that Android encourages users to update their OS by buying a new device. Which is good for the companies in the Android food chain.
And “cheap” is what the companies selling you the phone want you to think.
You know… it all makes sense now. Now I honestly think that I just misunderstood after reading your reply and re-reading his original post. If you are in fact right on your interpretation of what he said… then I have to say, he does have a good point.
That’s the point indeed
Some carrier versions are late. Presuming those versions have exactly the same hardware (why would be they different?) then those devices are late due to the carriers not doing their part in due time.
Yet another reason, if we needed it, that carriers should never be entrusted with software. They have zero interest in getting it right. Fully unlocked, off contract devices are the only sane way to go.
A cursorary glance at the range of Android phones for sale on Amazon.co.uk reveals a wide range of Android Versions.
These range from 4.0.4 to at least 4.4. There may have been some devices running Gingerbread still lurking but thankfully, I didn’t find any.
someone buying a new phone may well not get any updates.
You can’t blame the carriers here either because these are unlocked devices.
IMHO, this is an almighty mess and not likely to get better anytime soon. A shame really.
If Google cared then they could make the likes of Samsung, HTC etc commit to provide updates for a specified period of time after they release the device. If they don’t then they can’t use the Android brand name.
Their Unlocked, Developer and Google Play editions of the phones are already updated.
If getting updates done is a priority, thats what you do, Don’t screw around with the interface by slapping a stupid skin on it.
They are also taking credit for other OEMs rolling our lollipop before them? Huh? I guess I should buy from one of them then.
The question would be : why a skin renders a kernel update impossible or at least very difficult ? There’s a load of application launcher on the Store that doesn’t require such thight interaction with the underlying OS (understand static compilation instead to callback mechanisms)
Well, they clearly aren’t very organized. If I go to the US site, it tells me that the Unlocked M8 is ready to update. If I check my phone, no updates. Damn. Well, I take a peak at the URL and change ‘us’ to ‘ca’ for Canada, and no wonder, it claims they haven’t even started the update process. Ugh. I bought my phone from the US, but live in Canada.
My DNA won’t be upgraded (officially). I tried a 5.0x build of LiquidSmooth. It was really nice. May have to give CM12 a try, too, since HTC won’t be going the Lollipop route on the DNA. Shame. Even though the DNA is ‘dated’ it really is nice hardware.
…look at what is not said.
They didn’t say why the Google updates are delaying things, which in itself is significant as it is likely that Google has done well with turn-around on the bugs they wanted fixed, but it’s their own testing processes (and that of the carrier’s) that have to be repeated once they get a new code drop.
So just because they’re calling out bug fixes from Google as being the delaying factor, until they say more (and yes I RTFM’d) then it’s really not known why – whether it’s actually Google or just all the bureaucratic red tape they have to go through to get the release done – between Google, themselves, the carrier’s, and the FTC’s of the world.
EDIT: Note that this would be no different for MS and Windows.
Edited 2015-02-02 18:16 UTC
“…updates remain … Android’s biggest weakness.”
Truth is, that is not really a serious problem. Maybe a few years back it was, when phone GUIs were in the process of significant development. They no longer are. You can use a three or four year old phone and it serves you about as well as a current one. Runs all the vital apps, works smoothly. To the average user it does not make much of a difference if they run Lollypop or Kit Kat. That is why it does not hurt Android on the market.