HTC has already confirmed that Android 5.0 Lollipop will be released as an update for some of its smartphones. New leaked images show the HTC One M8 running an updated version of Sense 6 sprinkled with Lollipop.
There's no denying that when it came to ruling the Android smartphone world, until recently Samsung had it it in the bag. The company had no shame in its game of releasing as many different smartphones as possible, with varying specs, features, and price points to give consumers more choice, while increasing market share. The practice worked for a while but now with declining smartphone profits and handsets like the Galaxy S5 not living up to sales expectations, the company has confirmed that it will reduce the number of smartphones released in 2015 by up to 30 percent.
Meanwhile, HTC, which was once the biggest Android smartphone maker, has been working to recapture some of its former glory and already decided to focus on releasing fewer smartphones, while focusing instead on premium design, something Android had been lacking compared with the design of Apple's iPhones.
The HTC One M7, released in 2013, began to turn things around for HTC, thanks to its high-end specs and sleek, Apple-esque aluminum unibody case. The company didn't veer from the recipe of M7's success with its 2014 flagship HTC One M8, which we were extremely impressed with in our review.
The design of the HTC One M8 was so popular that HTC decided to swap out Android for Windows Phone 8.1 and released the HTC One M8 for Windows on multiple U.S. carriers. HTC is now experiencing a much-deserved comeback and Google even commissioned the company to build its just-released Nexus 9 tablet, which is the launch vehicle for Google's latest and greatest version of Android 5.0 Lollipop.
When Google took the wraps off Android 5.0 Lollipop, HTC was very vocal about its plans to release the software update to current HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 smartphones. We recently reported that the company was planning to release an Android 5.0 Lolliop update to its HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 Google Play Edition handsets on Nov. 21, but that has since been delayed due to Google's requesting HTC submit an update before it will release it.
If you don't own a Google Play Edition HTC One M8 or HTC One M7 but own one of the standard models, which come complete with HTC Sense 6, you'll be happy to know that HTC is well on its way with its 90-day Lollipop promise. Sense 6 is HTC's smartphone UI skin that runs on top of Android to make the OS more user friendly.
Screenshots of Android 5.0 Lollipop and HTC Sense 6 running on the HTC One M8 have been posted by LlabTooFeR, and show just how HTC plans on integrating its Sense UI with Android 5.0 Lollipop. We get a good look at Lollipop's redesigned multitasking feature, enhanced notifications, lock screen notifications, quick settings, and more.
HTC has largely kept the look of Android 5.0 Lollipop intact and it looks like HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 owners are in store for a very sweet update in the near future. We'll keep you posted on when we hear any exact release dates.
