Android Update for HTC?

[libai8268]

Hey guys, I am just wondering if HTC will be able to keep the OS up to date for EVO? Now it's for sure that the android 2.1 update for HERO in Taiwan is postponed. Google just keeps releasing new features with new OS, how are we gonna enjoy that when HTC can't give us the updates? Also, there could be situations that HTC is not releasing new updates for this phone soon like Magic? I love EVO very much. I am just afraid that I can't enjoy the new feature in near future.....cuz we all know HTC will have new baby really soon......

 

[CCNDR]

I do not think HTC has anything to do with the OS. I think is all up to google and sprint to decide what phone gets what OS. But I could be wrong.

 

[LatinP]

I do not think HTC has anything to do with the OS. I think is all up to google and sprint to decide what phone gets what OS. But I could be wrong.

When Google releases Froyo or whatever the next build will be HTC has to grab it build sense on top of it then make a RC (release candidate) build and submit to Sprint. Sprint then sends it to QA for quality testing and if they find it is ready then they release to us. Usually it's never that smooth and in between HTC and Sprint go back and forth until Sprint believes it's ready at which point we get the final update. By the way this process can and usually does take months.

 

[CRPercodani]

Using the Hero as a example you can see it takes 6-9 months. However with Android gaining steam I think they will try to expedite this process with a phone as popular as the Evo will (hopefully) be.

 

[SprintFun]

My big fear is that a new Android version would break Sense, and so Sprint would have to wait for HTC to figure Sense out before they could even think about doing their own work on it.

 

[Bek]

Research custom roms - then you'll be able to stay on the cutting edge.

 

[tokuzumi]

I have a feeling it will be a while before Froyo is put on the Evo. But, if the hype about Froyo is to be believed, OS updates should slow down considerably. The main apps (gmail, maps, talk, etc) will become separate programs, which can be updated through the market. I'm guessing the only thing to be released would be kernel changes.

 

[dxCoqui]

When Google releases Froyo or whatever the next build will be HTC has to grab it build sense on top of it then make a RC (release candidate) build and submit to Sprint. Sprint then sends it to QA for quality testing and if they find it is ready then they release to us. Usually it's never that smooth and in between HTC and Sprint go back and forth until Sprint believes it's ready at which point we get the final update. By the way this process can and usually does take months.

You would think that Google and HTC are working hand in hand, so Google would give HTC the release earlier so that they can start porting Sense to it, but what do I know I am just a a Senior SW Eng, oh wait I do know...

 

[cabbie]

im fully expecting EVO to ship with froyo

 

[LatinP]

You would think that Google and HTC are working hand in hand, so Google would give HTC the release earlier so that they can start porting Sense to it, but what do I know I am just a a Senior SW Eng, oh wait I do know...

That would make sense wouldn't it? But working in the industry you soon learn that sensible communication between so called partners isn't exactly easy to come by.

 

[tokuzumi]

the EVO is supposedly shipping with FROYO so no worries, and froyo fixes fragmentation

Sprint says 2.1 on their website (Sprint - HTC EVO? 4G), but mentions Froyo in their documentation. Considering the amount of time it has taken for Sprint to upgrade the Hero/Moment to 2.1 (still not available yet, and we are 6 months out), and that 2.2 (Froyo) hasn't been announced by Google yet, we will need to wait for Froyo to make it to the Evo. I'd be all for the Evo being the 1st phone to have Froyo on it, though. That would be sweet!!!

 

[Bek]

the EVO is supposedly shipping with FROYO so no worries, and froyo fixes fragmentation

Sprint says 2.1 on their website (Sprint - HTC EVO? 4G), but mentions Froyo in their documentation.

There has been no solid evidence that Android 2.2 is actually Froyo (vs 2.5), nor is there any solid evidence that the Evo will ship with it either.

As far as the Froyo mention in the Evo SDK documentation, I dissected that from a developer's perspective in another post. To re-summarize that, the SDK's reference to Froyo is also not proof that the Evo will come with Froyo.

 

[tokuzumi]

think about it this way, 2.2 is still a 2.0 OS based system which has been out for a while, (this is why the hero currently 1.5 is taking so long, it's not just a small update, the first number means the most, and 2.1 changes ALOT from 1.5... 2.1 to 2.2 on the other hand, not so much)

and why not, the droid was the first 2.0 device, they had the code WAYYY before google gave it to anyone else... why would google not do that here... this is the most bad ass android on the market when it hits, it could carry android A LONG WAY, so google would WANT this to carry the most polished version available... 2.2

Believe me, I would love for the phone to be released with 2.2. And I hope you are right. But, considering it's almost May right now, the phone is rumored to be out the first half of June, and Google has not officially announced Froyo yet, the cards are stacked against this. Hopefully, HTC is making a sense overlay for this right now, or the existing one will work with minimal code change....I hope....Google/HTC/Sprint, let my post be full of mis-information.

 

[legacy]

You would think that Google and HTC are working hand in hand, so Google would give HTC the release earlier so that they can start porting Sense to it, but what do I know I am just a a Senior SW Eng, oh wait I do know...

Well, that makes sense, but if that were the case, wouldn't that also be true of the current Android phones with Sense that people are complaining about NOT getting updated in a timely manner?

This concern is one of my main concerns with the phone. The Nexus One is Google's baby and gets all of the updates immediately. Anything like the HTC Sense UI that runs over Android takes additional work and time.

 

[LatinP]

Believe me, I would love for the phone to be released with 2.2. And I hope you are right. But, considering it's almost May right now, the phone is rumored to be out the first half of June, and Google has not officially announced Froyo yet, the cards are stacked against this. Hopefully, HTC is making a sense overlay for this right now, or the existing one will work with minimal code change....I hope....Google/HTC/Sprint, let my post be full of mis-information.

I think you're over thinking sense compatibility a bit. I mean I'm sure it would have to be tweaked to a point but I hardly think it would need a major re-haul or complete re-write to work with Froyo.

 

[Bek]

Just wait until Google IO later in May. I'm willing to speculate that we'll see Froyo revelations out the wazoo then.

 

[legacy]

One good thing is that Google isn't releasing the N1 on Verizon. They are telling people to pick up an Incredible instead. Hopefully this means that they are working closely with HTC to push out Android updates without breaking SenseUI. With the N1, it was getting the updates LONG before any other phones. Now that it doesn't look like it's coming to any new carriers, Google can focus on other companies' phones too.

 

[legacy]

it's not really google's responsibility to focus on other companies phones... if they change android why should google help them... i mean yea it's for the better in some cases like sense, but should microsoft help apple get iTunes to windows just because it's on windows? or any other software for that matter... i do hope froyo eliminates this problem, but we'll see

Because HTC is a major manufacturer (that also just so happens to make Google's phone). It would be like Microsoft not letting hardware developers know ahead of time what will work and what won't on their OS.

I'm not talking about Google fixing Sense, just making sure HTC has what they need before an Android update to make sure HTC can check compatibility with their Sense UI.

 

[mrk]

Your metaphor is not quite applicable. It makes sense for Google to help HTC with Sense because it makes Android more accessible. The better Sense is, the better off Google is. With Microsoft, it makes more sense for them to focus on their own software, which is entirely separate from Apple's program.

 

[libai8268]

According to the HTC pattern for Hero, Magic...etc, I am not really optimistic about the future updates for EVO. It's not just in USA, the delay is around the world for HTC such as Europe, Taiwan(even here....). Therefore, it's pretty hard for me to believe we'll get up-to-date OS. EVO might be just another HERO in the future.....

But WTH, I am still gonna get EVO LOL unless there's another best phone publishing around this summer too.

 

[dxCoqui]

According to the HTC pattern for Hero, Magic...etc, I am not really optimistic about the future updates for EVO. It's not just in USA, the delay is around the world for HTC such as Europe, Taiwan(even here....). Therefore, it's pretty hard for me to believe we'll get up-to-date OS. EVO might be just another HERO in the future.....

But WTH, I am still gonna get EVO LOL unless there's another best phone publishing around this summer too.

Thank God for rooting...

 

[akayareal]

From what i've read about Froyo, as of right now, it is not compatible with 4g and may delay how long it takes for a update for the Evo and might be why it wont ship with it.

Google has also said that the updates will now slow down as a lot of the major issues have mainly been fixed and will be releasing updates a lot less frequently.

But who knows, as it was stated at the announcement of the Evo, there will be some surprises on the phone to be announced later on. This could be one of them.

 

[drksilenc]

... froyo is compatable with 4g...

 

[Android 17]

From what i've read about Froyo, as of right now, it is not compatible with 4g and may delay how long it takes for a update for the Evo and might be why it wont ship with it.

Google has also said that the updates will now slow down as a lot of the major issues have mainly been fixed and will be releasing updates a lot less frequently.

But who knows, as it was stated at the announcement of the Evo, there will be some surprises on the phone to be announced later on. This could be one of them.

Wait, so you're saying 4G works on Eclair, an OLDER version of the OS, yet not on Froyo? That is one of the most ludicrous things I've heard, not to mention the SDK mentioned a work-around for 2.1 which will NOT be necessary on Froyo, as that will include built-in support.

 

[SprintFun]

There is nothing that says 4G is not compatible with 2.1 in the first place. As far as needing FroYo, even if that is the case the phone would have a special patch on it for compatibility and not an entire new version of the operating system. That just makes no sense for it to get an entire new operating system just for one minor sticking point (that I'm convinced doesn't even exist in the first place).