Very interesting posts from HTC on how upgrades happen

[El Presidente]

HTC Software Updates | HTC United States

Pretty interesting

I didn't realise that Google had to give the OK before major updates are rolled out.

Given all that's involved, you can kinda see why it takes so long for updates to roll out.

 

[Rxpert83]

I think this does a great job of explaining how carrier, google play, and developer edition devices happen.

The infographic is huge so I hid it:

Spoiler

Interested to see the differences in steps (they keep count) between the different versions

Originally seen on :
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/1...per-and-google-play-edition-updates-are-made/

 

[iowabowtech]

I wonder if the first 7% to receive the update are the "testers". I'd have expected that number to be a little smaller slice of all users. Or maybe they test internally with the "LE" references? Interesting nonetheless.

 

[Thom]

I wonder how it relates to Motorola and now Google/Motorola.

Pushing updates only to Verizon (Maxx, Mini, and Ultra).

Pushing updates to multiple carriers (Moto G and Moto X).

Each release has an initial acceptance by the carriers with tweaks to what was provided.

Each goes through a Soak Test with people selected from the registered user community who volunteer to do it.

Over the last six months they have pushed it out to some random people who were not signed up at the same time the SOAK test was going on.

At the end of soak test an evaluation is done to answer the question ... are there any show stoppers?

The OTA is then incrementally released in order to keep the load manageable on the network. I have never seen the algorithm for determining who gets it when.

So ... this document strikes me as quite HTC specific and I think it belongs in the HTC area.

... Thom

 

[palmtree5]

I wouldn't be surprised if the process is the same for other carriers as well

 

[funkylogik]

I found it interesting though and ive never owned an HTC lol. If it was in an HTC section id never have seen it

 

[chanchan05]

Oh, so that's why Samsungs always get updates faster than some other manufacturers. Samsung itself is the manufacturer of the Exynos chipsets, so they can work it internally in their company time tables. HTC, Moto and Sony have to wait on Qualcomm's timetables. Sony is starting to follow Samsung's lead with their new AFAIK in-house NovaThor chipsets though.

 

[Rxpert83]

Oh, so that's why Samsungs always get updates faster than some other manufacturers. Samsung itself is the manufacturer of the Exynos chipsets, so they can work it internally in their company time tables. HTC, Moto and Sony have to wait on Qualcomm's timetables. Sony is starting to follow Samsung's lead with their new AFAIK in-house NovaThor chipsets though.

In some instances they beat the competition, but not necessarily always. Depends on the device and the amount of effort carriers/manufacturers put into it

 

[chanchan05]

In some instances they beat the competition, but not necessarily always. Depends on the device and the amount of effort carriers/manufacturers put into it

Oh, I'm not in the US so the carrier debacle doesn't affect me. My phones are actually carrier subsidized but I get the updates as fast as non-carrier devices because my carrier doesn't put bloat. Lol. They just send me emails of their official apps available on Google Play.

Also since I'm using the international versions of devices, we get the Exynos versions. The US versions get Snapdragons usually, so they are in the same boat as the other manufacturers waiting on Qualcomm. It's only outside US where my comment is valid. Should have put that disclaimer.

 

[Hadron]

Also since I'm using the international versions of devices, we get the Exynos versions. The US versions get Snapdragons usually, so they are in the same boat as the other manufacturers waiting on Qualcomm. It's only outside US where my comment is valid. Should have put that disclaimer.

Could be a factor. The HTC One has been matching or beating the S4 for updates, but international S4s are Qualcomm as well.

 

[chanchan05]

Could be a factor. The HTC One has been matching or beating the S4 for updates, but international S4s are Qualcomm as well.

International S4s have an Exynos 5 Octa 5410

www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9500_galaxy_s4-5125.php

 

[Hadron]

If you define international the way they did for the S3 (i.e. non-US and outside Korea), they don't. For example the UK models are Qualcomm, but the S3s were Exynos. In fact I thought only a few markets got the Exynos (I know Korea and Russia did, some European countries had access to both, don't have the full world map), and certainly the majority of S4 are Qualcomm.

 

[Stuntman]

I'd like to see an Infographic for iOS updates just for a comparison.

 

[Hadron]

Apple reveal inside information?

 

[funkylogik]

Are you sure about the international s4 being qualcomm mate? I thought they had the samsung chipset. Isnt the UK version the gt-i9500?

 

[jhawkkw]

While chipset manufacturers may affect the upgrade timetable, I'm not totally convinced they show down the process very much or even at all. Nexus devices get the updates almost immediately across all of them and they range greatly in chipsets. They use everything from Qualcomm Snapdragon, nVIDIA Tegra, Samsung Exynos and up until recently Texas Instruments OMAP. Though T.I. getting out of the business might be the principle reason the galaxy nexus didn't get a 4.4. update.

 

[chanchan05]

While chipset manufacturers may affect the upgrade timetable, I'm not totally convinced they show down the process very much or even at all. Nexus devices get the updates almost immediately across all of them and they range greatly in chipsets. They use everything from Qualcomm Snapdragon, nVIDIA Tegra, Samsung Exynos and up until recently Texas Instruments OMAP. Though T.I. getting out of the business might be the principle reason the galaxy nexus didn't get a 4.4. update.

Well Nexus devices are the devices they test the new OS on, so it should be that they aren't affected because Google makes the drivers for that chipset along with other hardware modules as they go along. They couldn't build an OS without testing, and they can't test without drivers.

 

[Hadron]

Are you sure about the international s4 being qualcomm mate? I thought they had the samsung chipset. Isnt the UK version the gt-i9500?

I'm absolutely sure. UK based review sites reviewed qualcomm models, handtec and clove sell the i9505 rather than the i9500, and the wining about not getting the "8 core" model (from people who didn't understand the chipsets) came from the UK too.

 

[!on]

Don't forget, after two, maybe three updates the support is gone, because they'd like you to buy a shiny new handset after one or two years. Needs funding & all that.

I think they tolerate devs because some of their work gets noticed by the big companies & gets incorporated into future versions.