HTC Android L 5.0 Lollipop Update Release Date: Leaked Roadmap Shows One M8 and M7 First in Line
If you're one of many HTC handset owners around the world you may be wondering when you're going to get your first taste of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Lucky for you, a leaked roadmap helps clear up some of haze.
Thanks to a Vietnamese leak, we can now get a better picture of when certain HTC smartphones will receive the latest version of Android. Although precise dates aren't given, the roadmap does help narrow it down to which quarter of the year certain firmwares can be expected.
From the looks of it, only two HTC smartphones are slated to get Android 5.0 Lollipop during the first quarter -- the HTC One M8 and HTC One M7. Bear in mind that the first quarter ends in March, so that means Lollipop should land on HTC's premier flagships sometime over the next couple months.
The HTC One E8, HTC Desire EYE, HTC One M8 EYE, and HTC Butterfly 2 should then all receive Android 5.0 Lollipop sometime during the second quarter of the year. The third quarter of 2015 will apparently see the most Lollipop rollouts, with the firmware slated to hit the HTC One Max, HTC One M7 Dual SIM, HTC Desire 816, HTC Desire 820u, HTC One M8 Mini, HTC One E8 China and HTC One M8 EYE China. Last but not least, the HTC One M8 Mini #UL, HTC Desire 610, HTC Desire 820s, HTC Desire 510, and HTC One Mini are said to get Lollipop during the final stretch of the year.
Sure, the lack of dates means that the update could come out anytime during a three-month stretch, but it does show that HTC is intent on keeping its products up to date -- if the leaked roadmap is accurate. HTC has not commented on the matter, and it's important to keep in mind that dates change, especially in the fickle world of software development, where bugs can delay releases by weeks.
None of the dates above will strictly apply to carrier-tied HTC handsets. Those with an HTC smartphone from a carrier such as Verizon or AT&T will have to wait until the carrier approves and distributes the firmware update on its own. This usually means tacking on a few extra weeks (sometimes even months) to an unlocked rollout. HTC, however, did promise in December that it would have Lollipop out for HTC One M7 and M8 within 90 days, so it shouldn't be long before those variants get the over-the-air download notification.
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