HTC isn’t quite the phone company it used to be after selling its R&D division to Google last year. It’s possible we’ve seen the last true HTC phone, but the company is keen to point out that it’s still supporting its most recent handsets, and the plan to get Android 9 Pie on them is still on track.
“We wanted to share the status on the Android 9 update,” the company tweeted to its 2.57 million followers on Monday night. “HTC is currently working on ensuring the update is compatible with our phones & we anticipate a release for U11, U11+ & U12+ customers starting Q2’19. Exact timing defers to operators’ availabilities in different countries.”
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While it isn’t news that these handsets will be getting a slice of Android Pie, you’d be forgiven for thinking that HTC had forgotten its promise. It’s been seven months since the company promised the update, only stating that “timeframes for the roll-out will be revealed in due course.” At the time it caused a bit of annoyance with fans that the HTC U Ultra wasn’t included in the update list.
Of course, there is one HTC handset that is already enjoying everything Android 9 has to offer: the HTC U11 Life. It’s not the most expensive or the most powerful phone, but it is built on Android One: a near-stock version of Android, which guarantees two years’ worth of updates.
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As for the rest, Q2 covers the period up to June 30, and HTC said it would only be “starting” in that period. Still, there’s a chance that more HTC users may be enjoying the Android 9 life before Android 10 is likely revealed at Google I/O in May.
Are you happy with HTC’s Android rollout schedule? Let us know on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.