HTC has confirmed it wants to upgrade Google Play edition smartphones to Android 5.0 Lollipop next week.
The firm’s VP of Product Management, Mo Versi, responded to a tweet requesting a timeline for GPE Lollipop, to which he responded: “
The fact that it’s just a target could imply that it might ship slightly later, should HTC hit any unexpected road blocks along the way.
It’s likely to be an accurate estimate however – Google Play edition handsets are the next best thing to having a Nexus device for Android rollouts.
Google Play edition devices are Google-officiated smartphones and tablets that run unmodified stock Android OS, much like Nexus devices, albeit built entirely by third-party OEMs.
This is opposed to ‘skinned’ handsets that see manufacturers running custom ROMs on their devices – the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Sony Xperia Z3, and the LG G3, for instance.
While HTC also skins its own devices, it has a selection of Google Play edition versions of its handsets that are running stock Android. This makes it incredibly easy for HTC to push through a Lollipop update.
It’s not yet clear whether the HTC One M8 GPe or the HTC One M7 GPe will be receiving the update first, but there’s no good reason why they both won’t be getting it very shortly.
As far as full-fat HTC-skinned handsets go, we’re expecting the HTC One M8 and the HTC One to get the Lollipop upgrade in early December.
Lollipop is Android’s latest operating system upgrade, bringing with it 64-bit chip support, boosted battery life, improved cross-platform functionality, and a ‘material design’ aesthetic overhaul.
Read More: Android 5.0 Lollipop update: When will my phone get it?
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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.
