Poor old HTC, still fielding endless complaints and virtual death-threats over the slow roll out of Android 2.1 across its range of Android phones, then Google goes and unleashes 2.2 on the world.
And according to a quote from HTC on Android Central, the company isn’t particularly clear about which phones will get an upgrade to Android 2.2 – or when that’s likely to happen. Unsurprisingly, HTC “can’t be more specific” than to promise updates to certain phones may arrive in the second half of the year.
Here’s the company’s rather vague attempt at rabble-calming:
“…if your phone was launched this year, we will most likely offer an upgrade for it to the Froyo version. This includes popular models like the Desire and Droid Incredible as well as hotly anticipated phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch slide and upcoming models. We will announce a full list of phones and dates once we are closer to launching the upgrades. We are working closely with Google and our other partners to ensure we have the earliest access to everything we need to provide a complete and solid Sense experience on Froyo. We expect to release all updates in the second half of this year but can’t be more specific yet“
That’s… not particularly useful. If you own anything other than a Desire or a Droid Incredible, start to get worried about being left behind.
Basically, gear yourself up for another year full of complaints, retribution and arguments about OS updates, endless network buck-passing and online petitions from angry users left out of the 2.2 party. Business as usual, then.
Wasn’t Android 2.2 supposed to end this fragmentation nonsense, not make it worse? Who started that little rumour?
Motorola’s latest flagship dual-core Android monster is a massive, original powerhouse, that’s a big improvement on previous MOTOBLUR mobiles – but still isn’t a total winner.
A slim and glamorous phone from Sony Ericsson, with the sharpest display around. It’s no powerhouse and the screen’s not the biggest out there, but we don’t mind. Because it’s cute.
LG’s first glasses-free 3D phone is a heavy, fat monster, with a clever 3D effect that works rather well. As a smartphone, though, it’s heavy and underwhelming.
A very shiny thing from Sony Ericsson, with a 3.7″ screen and Android 2.3.3 inside. But is it exciting enough to win fans in today’s spec-obsessed market? Can man live on one core alone?
INQ’s Android phone is an interesting “boutique” piece of hardware, packed with unique interface customisations that go far beyond the headline Facebook integration. We like it a lot.
Bristolboy
/ May 20, 2010I spent ages trying to decide whether to get a Desire or Legend. However, after the problems there have been with the Hero I took a punt and hoped that since there were more networks planning on launching the Desire it would become more popular (plus the fact it is more powerful) and so would be upgraded ahead of the Legend. As I say it was a complete gamble since I pre-ordered my phone but I am glad I made this decision now (although it is annoying about the delay!).
LewieP
/ May 20, 2010Presumably the end of fragmentation will start once the phones have 2.2.
Janne
/ May 21, 2010Here’s the thing, though: Your 1.6 phone didn’t suddenly get a lot worse when 2.1 rolled out. And your 2.1 phone doesn’t lose any functionality just because 2.2 is out the door.
“But.. all the software that needs 2.2!” Um, what software? No developer likes to limit their audience, so there’s not going to be any significant number of apps needing 2.2 until it’s well over the 50% uptake mark, and you’re not going to see a wholesale shift of apps until it’s past the two-thirds level or more. And even 50% is going to be a year away at the very least.
Look at the current 2.x uptake; it’s not going to hit 50% in a year, and there were much fewer phones, and fewer customers, to update from 1.x than there will be for 2.2. Most people aren’t gearheads, are not at all comfortable with the idea of an OS update (or clear about the concept of an OS in general). Many users may well decide to leave well enough alone and simply never update their phones even when an update is available.
Expect 1.6 to remain the baseline to aim development for, for at least another year and maybe more. And 2.1 will be with us for years and years to come. The only apps and the only users that will take up 2.2 quickly are those that actually need the new functionality. Those apps, however, and those users are few and far between.
A new OS release is cool and all, but the practical effect on most of us is fairly close to nil for the time being. Too much hyperventilating is not good for your heart.
Niels C
/ May 21, 2010@Janne I think your comment is spot on. People only see the (arbitrary) number. If Google had decided to call it 1.7 and 1.8 instead of 2.0+ we probably wouldn’t have had this debacle. People also miss the facts that at least S/E implement features themselves, e.g. BT functionality and I could rant on.
Tony S.
/ May 21, 2010There’s hope that HTC Magic will get the Froyo treatment:
http://phandroid.com/2010/04/22/android-2-2-allows-automatic-app-updates/
This was 22/april, and it shows the Auto-update feature shown yesterday. It seems real.
If these older phones can get 2.2, they could live a 2nd youngness.
Bob
/ May 21, 2010HTC and all other handset makers will struggle to keep up with Google’s pace of innovations, I mean gingerbread is already planned for last quarter of 2010. Google is in turbo charged mode, churning out incredible features every 3 months or so. God knows what android will be like in 2011