HTC breaks promise to update One S

[Wildman107]

http://androidandme.com/2013/07/dev...ves-android-4-1-broken-promises-at-the-scene/

A few months ago, HTC promised that the One S would be getting an updated Sense UI and Android operating system. It appears that they've broken that promise today.

This is the main reason I can't recommend the HTC One to friends and family members. HTC has a horrible track record when it comes to keeping customers happy with consistent (and timely) software updates.

Apple customers can depend on updates to their iPhone for years before being cut from the latest iOS version. Google Nexus customers (except for the HTC Nexus One, go figure) have seen consistent updates to their phone and Google hasn't shown any sign of cutting support. Even Samsung has kept their Galaxy S II more up-to-date than HTC's One S, and the GSII is a year older!

I do not understand why HTC believes consumers will continue to tolerate these broken promises. Don't they understand that some of us don't want to buy a new phone every year? Don't they understand if they continue to burn us, we're just going to buy from someone else the next time around?

Someone please explain the logic to their madness.

 

[ImDonly1]

Saw this earlier, makes me happy I picked the S4 over the HTC One.

 

[bradly1101]

But the lady showing off her phone to her friends in the commercial is so cool!

I want to be her and have that phone so bad!

But really I'm happy with my S3 updated to Jellly Bean. I definitely don't need to have the latest thing, and my savings account really appreciates it.

 

[lothar]

http://androidandme.com/2013/07/dev...ves-android-4-1-broken-promises-at-the-scene/

A few months ago, HTC promised that the One S would be getting an updated Sense UI and Android operating system. It appears that they've broken that promise today.

This is the main reason I can't recommend the HTC One to friends and family members. HTC has a horrible track record when it comes to keeping customers happy with consistent (and timely) software updates.

Apple customers can depend on updates to their iPhone for years before being cut from the latest iOS version. Google Nexus customers (except for the HTC Nexus One, go figure) have seen consistent updates to their phone and Google hasn't shown any sign of cutting support. Even Samsung has kept their Galaxy S II more up-to-date than HTC's One S, and the GSII is a year older!

I do not understand why HTC believes consumers will continue to tolerate these broken promises. Don't they understand that some of us don't want to buy a new phone every year? Don't they understand if they continue to burn us, we're just going to buy from someone else the next time around?

Someone please explain the logic to their madness.

I'm pretty sure the Google Nexus One got OS updates for at least 18-24 months.

Probably because HTC believes their customers are more focused on "design" and "bling bling" rather than the latest Android OS updates? That's the only logic to their madness that I can think off.

 

[lopri]

I didn't know there were so many One ___ variants. I thought the previous One (something) was a Windows phone?

 

[cronos]

I didn't know there were so many One ___ variants. I thought the previous One (something) was a Windows phone?

One S, One V, One X (among others). All Android.

The Windows Phone is 8X.

 

[lothar]

I didn't know there were so many One ___ variants. I thought the previous One (something) was a Windows phone?

Not sure if I'm missing any from this list, but here goes...

HTC One X
HTC One S
HTC One SV
HTC One VX
HTC One V
HTC One X+
HTC One XL
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/1...e-that-completely-confuses-the-htc-one-brand/

"HTC One"
"HTC One Mini" or some sort that will supposedly come out in a few months.

A lot of people complain about Samsung's "Galaxy" brand being in almost every phone they make which is supposedly confusing to them, but yet I don't see those same people gnashing their teeth when it comes to the HTC One brand.

 

[Wildman107]

I'm pretty sure the Google Nexus One got OS updates for at least 18-24 months.

You are correct. The HTC Nexus One received OS updates for 22 months.

You have to admit though that 22 months of support isn't stellar compared to Apple. Early Nexus One adopters were lucky to have Google pushing the updates and not HTC.

Source: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/102149-why-the-nexus-one-cant-run-ice-cream-sandwich

 

[Dari]

This phone was not a flagship.

So, outside of the Samsung Galaxy I, II, and III, how many of the hundreds of other Samsung Galaxy phones have Samsung updated? This is a serious question since people like to rag on HTC. How many Galaxy THIS and Galaxy THAT have Samsung updated since they released them? We all know there have been hundreds since they release a new phone every other day.

 

[Wildman107]

This phone was not a flagship.

So, outside of the Samsung Galaxy I, II, and III, how many of the hundreds of other Samsung Galaxy phones have Samsung updated? This is a serious question since people like to rag on HTC. How many Galaxy THIS and Galaxy THAT have Samsung updated since they released them? We all know there have been hundreds since they release a new phone every other day.

Hey Dari - How many of those phones did Samsung publicly promise to update?

And the answer to that question is why people are ragging on HTC.

 

[Dari]

Hey Dari - How many of those phones did Samsung publicly promise to update?

And the answer to that question is why people are ragging on HTC.

Fair enough. But this is no big deal. These companies do it all the time. Samsung has broken promises as well. BTW, I have the One S and I don't give a damn about this because...because it means nothing in the grand scheme of thing. I love my One S but an upgrade of the base OS is the last thing on my mind since I wouldn't even know what was new. Same goes for all the updates I get for apps I use (and don't use) that happen on my phones every damn day.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I guess if the people that own this phone don't know the difference between Android 4.1 and 4.2, then it's not a big deal for them. I'm guessing not having Sense 5 might be a bigger deal, sounds like it was a big improvement over the previous version from what I've heard.

 

[Ravynmagi]

If HTC and Samsung would stop making so many freaking variations of similar phones, perhaps they'd have more time to make sure even the mid range phones get the updates for at least 18 months they deserve. But I know, beating the dead horse.

 

[AstroManLuca]

This phone was not a flagship.

So, outside of the Samsung Galaxy I, II, and III, how many of the hundreds of other Samsung Galaxy phones have Samsung updated? This is a serious question since people like to rag on HTC. How many Galaxy THIS and Galaxy THAT have Samsung updated since they released them? We all know there have been hundreds since they release a new phone every other day.

Well, I had a Samsung Epic (Sprint version of the Galaxy S1). Shipped with Android 2.1, received updates to 2.2 and 2.3. They took a long time but they were eventually released. The jump from 2.3 to 4.0 was pretty large so I'm not surprised that they didn't make it (although the very similar Nexus S did get 4.0).

 

[Germanic]

Thank goodness I chose the Samsung Galaxy S4 instead of the HTC One.

I always had a suspicion that HTC didn't get Android updates as fast and efficiently as Samsung.

 

[Crono]

I've never bought any phone thinking I was going to rely on updates, and it seems this phenomenon is fairly big - bigger than it should be, I think - in the Android world. Some people are like drug addicts anticipating the next update.

I'm not saying this to excuse HTC, it's just that I don't care if I'm running the latest version of Android. What I care when I buy a phone is if it is running smooth and fast when I purchase it. In the past Android looked pretty crappy compared to iOS or even Windows Phone at one point in terms of choppiness and lag (one of the reasons I never seriously considered getting a phone during the Gingerbread era), but with current hardware and Android 4.0+ I don't care about updates. I know some of you like to use your phones for more than 2 years and care about security and other issues, though, but knowing how people have been burned by the various Android manufacturers, I would out of the gate expect nothing from any of them.

Even if HTC promised something, I wouldn't count on it unless it was a legally binding agreement. They are a big yet struggling company - get over it, and move on to another manufacturer next round if you can't trust them. No one should be surprised at this point, though.

My phone does what I need it to at the speed I need it to with the features I need it to have. When it doesn't, I'll buy a new one and sell this One. Not that big of a deal.

 

[Yuriman]

This phone was not a flagship.

So, outside of the Samsung Galaxy I, II, and III, how many of the hundreds of other Samsung Galaxy phones have Samsung updated? This is a serious question since people like to rag on HTC. How many Galaxy THIS and Galaxy THAT have Samsung updated since they released them? We all know there have been hundreds since they release a new phone every other day.

My Galaxy S2 (AT&T) just had 4.1.2 pushed to it a few days ago. The international S2 is over 2 years old at this point, with AT&T's version coming in at 21 months.

 

[dagamer34]

The jury is still out on what kind of support the Google Play edition phones will get. Hopefully they had to promise Google longer support than just 15 months, as these phones should be capable of getting updates for several years.

 

[Oyeve]

Fair enough. But this is no big deal. These companies do it all the time. Samsung has broken promises as well. BTW, I have the One S and I don't give a damn about this because...because it means nothing in the grand scheme of thing. I love my One S but an upgrade of the base OS is the last thing on my mind since I wouldn't even know what was new. Same goes for all the updates I get for apps I use (and don't use) that happen on my phones every damn day.

Dari, samsung only fucked up on promises on ONE phone, the S1. Ever since they received so much flack from that they have been excellent on updates. Excellent. In fact, they probably have been the best updaters for android.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This is EXACTLY why we won't get KLP this year, and instead we get yet another "Jellybean." OEMs like HTC love not having to keep updating their phones.

I was in the AT&T store the other day and I actually heard a representative tell someone "The HTC One has the newest Android possible, Jellybean." No discussion of 4.1 vs 4.2 vs 4.3 eventually. Its just all Jellybean. Takes the pressure off HTC and all Android makers.


As to those who say it isn't a big deal, well I don't see how you could say that. Mobile OSes are fast-moving targets. The leap from Gingerbread to Jellybean was like the leap from Windows 2000 to Windows 7. I would be PISSED if I didn't have Google Now, Project Butter, Chrome, etc.

Who knows, the next big Android update (after 4.3) might finally really improve battery life, or screen mirroring on devices, or add official controller support for games. Any of those happen, and I will be dying like many of you to get that update. Hence I bought a S4 to give me the best chance.

Even iOS is going through major changes. This market moves too fast to be stuck in the past.

 

[dawheat]

For those defending HTC for this not being a flagship phone, what is their track record for their flagship phones? I'm honestly asking as I don't know.

In 2011 - I assume it is the Evo 3D? What version of JB has it been updated to?

In 2012 - what was their flagship phone? What version of JB has it been updated to?

Samsung has been pretty good since the S2 for their flagship phones (S2/S3/S4 and Note/Note 2).

 

[Oyeve]

For those defending HTC for this not being a flagship phone, what is their track record for their flagship phones? I'm honestly asking as I don't know.

In 2011 - I assume it is the Evo 3D? What version of JB has it been updated to?

In 2012 - what was their flagship phone? What version of JB has it been updated to?

Samsung has been pretty good since the S2 for their flagship phones (S2/S3/S4 and Note/Note 2).

Yep. Even my spare stratosphere 2 got updated twice in 6 months.

 

[gmaster456]

As a general rule with most non nexus Android phones. Buy the phone with the expectation you won't be getting any updates. If you're not happy with it as is, don't buy it or make sure you can download the tweaks you want or have a decent dev community.

 

[Jodell88]

This is a major reason why I bought a Nexus 4.

 

[Dari]

My Galaxy S2 (AT&T) just had 4.1.2 pushed to it a few days ago. The international S2 is over 2 years old at this point, with AT&T's version coming in at 21 months.

Do you have a hard time reading what you quoted?