HTC promised it would release Android 5.0 Lollipop for the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 within 90 days of release. The company has just confirmed the Google Play Edition smartphones will get it first.
When Google officially unveiled Android 5.0 Lollipop at Google I/O in June, the company revealed the most significant update to its mobile operating system since the release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in December 2011. Android 5.0 Lollipop brings a new design language called Material Design that unifies the UI across smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, TV, and automobiles.
Google has enhanced the way Android 5.0 Lollipop handles notifications, an update to the way users multitask, and a focus on increasing battery life through various settings to get as much runtime out of your device as possible. One of the first companies to officially announce it would release an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop to its current smartphones was HTC. The company claimed that it would roll out Lollipop to its current flagship HTC One M8 and its predecessor HTC One M7 within 90 days of Google releasing Android 5.0.
True to its word, HTC is well on its way to delivering on its promise. The first smartphones that will get the sweet taste of Android 5.0 Lollipop will be the HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 Google Play Edition smartphones. These devices can be updated faster than the standard HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 because they run a stock version of Android and there's no need to test HTC's Sense skin it runs on top of these devices, which are designed to add extra features and make Android more user friendly.
According to a tweet from HTC's Mo Versi, HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 Google Play Edition smartphones should receive an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop on Friday, Nov. 21.
"Hi Marty, got delayed - new target is Friday. Working aggressively to get it out as quickly as possible. Thanks. Mo"
If all goes according to plan HTC will be one of the first Android licensees to release its promised Android 5.0 Lollipop update. Owners of the standard HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 are expected to receive an OTA update to Android 5.0 Lollipop in December or January 2015 at the latest. Once we hear any expected release dates, you can rest assured we'll pass them on.
