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  • On my M8, they broke out an HTC service pack. Isn’t that what could be done for these updates?

  • It’s about time people STOP buying carrier-tied flagships and buy unlocked phones directly from the manufacturer wherein updates come directly from manufacturer and not the carrier. The US needs to change it’s laws when it comes to Wireless Carriers and disallow them from tinkering with handsets, and/or imposing their own software on the devices. I commend Apple for standing up to these worthless carriers.

    • I see that happening w/in the next couple years. Carriers won’t be subsidizing phones anymore, so everyone (carriers and OEMs alike) will be offering some sort of payment plan. You’ll be able to go to whomever and buy a phone that is compatible with your choice in network.

  • All android manufactures need to be more like Apple. Don’t allow crapware, don’t allow them to control updates.

  • Samsung has a security app that updates via the playstore, why is HTC so unrealistic? Anything is possible here people. Unless its Verizon.

    • Hey even Verizon is now allowing you to bring unlocked phones to their network. The end of days may be near.

    • HTC has cut a lot of employees and simply can’t afford the resources.

      Good time for HTC to go Vanilla android, and make all their features into apps, and save money having Google do the work for them, and HTC take care of their Features in app form. We don’t need skins in this day and age.

  • From my experience with carrier updates as a smartphone owner for years, I agree that monthly updates seems unrealistic. He can’t really call out LG and Samsung, but my gut tells me they were making empty promises.

  • If every manufacturer used the domino’s pizza tracker approach people would be complaining to the cell companies a lot more. It would make things more transparent.

  • We already know that carriers give more attention to OEMs that drive more sales to their service. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Samsung was able to negotiate more testing “slots” for security updates than a smaller OEM like HTC.

    Still, the bottom line is clear, eliminate carriers for selling branded hardware. That has to be the direction we move.

    • Security is always going to be an issue with everything running the Internet but I really think HTC stabbed themselves in the back on this one with such a stupid statement. I want to like HTC again but with statements like this I have a real hard time supporting them

  • I remember the horrible days of the HTC Thunderbolt quite possibly the worst phone I’ve ever owned in my life

    • …and that was like 5 years ago. I’d say Verizon played a big part in why that phone didn’t do so well. The Thunderbolt was made for Verizon in response to Sprint having the HTC Evo 4G, which is remembered, fondly.

      • I gave HTC much more than a fair run having multiple devices from multiple carriers and each one of them had horrible battery life the HTC Thunderbolt just happened to be the worst of all of them.

        Don’t get me wrong I love the design of the original HTC One m7 but since the m8 they have gone downhill and have a very hard time recommend them to anyone.

  • “Committing to” and “Following through on” are two completely different things. If I were HTC, I’d say that they are committed to submitting monthly updates to the carriers and put the burden on them.

  • so Apple can push any updates without carrier’s approval, but not others (Android based)? Why do carriers have control over all Android based phones? That’s so fucked up.

    • Bottom line, they trust Apple software more. They don’t trust Android and the OEMs.

      That’s what I get out of it.

      • I don’t think it has anything to do with trust. Apple has no carrier bloat, Android does. Carriers want to get their crap in place before they release an update to the phone.

        • Carriers add their bloats into Android phones because Android is open while iOS is not. I think it has to do with that.

          • No, open-source has nothing to do with carrier bloat. That only applies to what the OEM’s do with the OS on their devices. They in turn make agreements with the carriers to put their bloat on.

          • Does open-source really apply only to the OEM’s? Even so, VZW still subs out to OEM’s to make VZW exlcusive devices, which basically allows VZW to tinkler with Android remotely.

          • Oh, definitely. I’m just glad VZW is basically the only OEM that has their own “brand” of Android device. Could you imagine if they all had that. Sends shivers down mine spine. :/

      • Discrimination, perhaps? All Android phone manufactures are foreign companies, including Moto.

        • …But Google is an American company. Besides, it’s not about foreign or domestic, it’s about who brings in the big bucks.

          • Exactly, carrier’s cannot dictate Nexus phones since Nexus phones belong to Google, not HTC, Huawei, LG or Samsung.

        • It has nothing to do with foreign or domestic companies and everything to do with the power Apple holds. If carriers don’t play by Apple’s rules they don’t get iPhones in their stores and iOS users will change carriers to keep their iPhone. Android OEMs don’t have that power. If HTC (or any other brand) doesn’t wanna play ball with Verizon, Verizon won’t care because they also have Samsung, Motorola, LG, etc in their stores.

    • Contracts. When you hold a serious amount of brand loyalty, and a serious user base that’s 50% of all smartphone users in the United States, you get what you want. Android is powerful as a collective, but as individual companies they are more vulnerable to wishy-washy contracts. Bundled software, giant Verizon logo planted somewhere on the device, locked and sealed to the specific carrier, and relentless “device testing” to stall OTAs.

      There’s a decent piece written by Walt Mossberg about the death of carriers as a storefront for devices, and AT&T’s CEO still believes that cell companies are the one stop shop for wireless on the United States. Google needs consider opening up stores here in the United States, and put forth a program of unlocked devices that work everywhere. Similar to Apple. Best Buy is far too entrenched in the pockets of carriers.

  • Android updates and security are an absolute mess. This just shows how dysfunctional the whole process is. The blame can be spread around between Google, OEM, and carrier. However it’s Android end users that suffer with insecurities and lack of updates.

    So, why does Apple have this down to a science and Android does not? A better question may be: why continue to stick with a company or an OS that isn’t, or can’t be, properly supported?

      • Not exactly. Customer support, and customer satisfaction are factored into Return On Investment. If the company does not continue to support their products for an acceptable time after the sale, then they will start to lose those customers.

        • Wake me up when update support actually matters to the general public for companies outside of maybe Apple, and that’s only because the media would take them to task about it by making a big stink/story. We are not talking about the usual customer support stuff here but updates.

    • I think Apple has it down to a science because they are extremely controlling and I think Android was based on “openness” and flexibility. There are of course trade offs to both approaches.

  • Mackenzie replying, “Let’s see. HTC is leading in terms of transparency on updates and providing them. And we will continue to improve.”

    I disagree

  • He is completely right, I know a lot of folks will jump on his comment but the thing is anyone on android who thinks this is realistic going forward are delusional and lying to themselves. Folks would rather people lie to them than to telling them the truth. Give it a few months and see how many of those companies who promised those updates are doing them, google included.

    • I agree. It’s great to set goals but at least be realistic about it. I just hope HTC is working on improving their products. I loved my DROID incredible v1 which was my first Android phone and the m8, was a great phone, not without its flaws of course.

    • Android updates and security have been a problem since day 1. Stagefright just pushed it into the spotlight. In all fairness, it needs to be.

    • Well, I can see the problem with carriers, but HTC is also making unlocked phones, without carrier involvement. And making updates for them is also unrealistic?

    • Personally I think it’s pretty lofty for monthly security patches, once a quarter would seem more realistic. Android is not taking any real hits at all, except for people who side load stuff without checking it out first.

  • LG has monthly patches? My G2 hasn’t had an update since March 30th and it certainly hasn’t received any Stagefright patch.

  • Why do security updates need to roll out OTA as firmware updates?
    HTC already has an “HTC Service Pack” service that they update regularly
    through the Play Store. I’m sure they could figure out a way to update
    these system files though the Play Store instead of using the carrier’s
    convoluted OTA process.

    What they ultimately need to do though is
    the same as Moto is doing; launch one unlocked US variant of their
    phone that works on all carriers and you can finance like you would
    through the carrier. This is the model (I hope) all OEMs will move to
    just to cut out BS like this in the first place.

      • So is updating their (aforementioned) HTC Service Pack app – that is a permanent app installed to the system partition and they update it through the Play Store.

        • To my knowledge when you update a system app through the playstore the update is installed to the data partition. I don’t believe the play store has any ability to install files to the system partition.

          Now, supposedly apps that are already installed on the system partition have some way of writing to the system partition themselves because if you disable supersu via the app you can reenable it (presumably without supersu having any root access). So maybe there’s a solution there, or maybe I’m misunderstanding how supersu functions in terms of disabling or reenabling itself.

          • Yeah, I’m not sure on the details, but my point is; there has to be some way for HTC (and every other OEM) to enable security updates like this through the Play Store or even some proprietary service that’s already installed on the phone (or can be installed in the next OTA udpate – negating the need for future OTA security update). That just seems like a much smarter way of doing it to me and I know there has to be some technical solution for it other than OTA updates that are restricted by the carriers.

  • This is why carriers need to be removed from the software update AND FEATURE process. Say what you want about Apple, but they definitely got that part right. Moto seems to be headed down the right path with the Pure edition as well. The issue is that the average consumer (read: those that don’t frequent sites like this) actually like the functionality that the OEM skins add to their phones. Yes folks, there are people in this world that actually like Touchwiz! So before the “just get a Nexus” crowd chimes in, know that stock Android isn’t for everyone. OEMs have to do a better job of standing up to carriers because it doesn’t look like the carriers are going to stop being assholes any time soon.

    • Stock android has much better fit and finish than any 3rd party UI, Subjectively. I can see some of the value add from things like Note on the Note series, but there’s no reason to not already go ahead and use the Stock settings / Launcher / Design Language.

      • I would say stock is the end all be all. It is still laggy and suffers from the same update and security issues.

    • I don’t know about that. My M7 and M8 were the most solid phones I’ve ever owned. I haven’t been so happy with my S6 so I’ll be receptive for what HTC has in store for the M10.

      • I owned the M7 and it was def a solid device but HTC just seems to be digging themselves into a deeper and deeper hole. Especially when all the other top manufactures are promising updates, why can’t HTC? That’s leaving a lot of devices vulnerable. I’m hoping they come back trust me, I just think they got lazy and mailed it in with the M9. I wanted to buy that phone too but was really disappointed. I currently own the Note 5 and I’m not very happy with it so I ordered the Nexus 6P. Never owned a Nexus and the 6P looks pretty solid so I’ll test it out.

  • Google/Moto can do it. Stop making excuses. Direct to customer. Carriers will feel the pain.

    • Can we stop with this bs already. Direct to consumers don’t work, not if you want to move any large number of devices. Even Apple, who has around 400 stores worldwide only sell around 30% of their iPhones through their retail store, never mind those oem’s with no retail stores to call their own. The truth is, if you want to move meaningful number of devices, you need to carriers. I have news for ya, that’s where the majority of users go to get their wireless devices, not those companies websites.

      • So if all the OEMs stopped selling through the carriers then all smartphone sales would stop? Of course not. The problem is they need the other OEMs to come along, Samsung in particular. However being in the drivers seat I don’t see Samsung getting on board on something that would put competitors on a more even playing field.

          • Agreed, but they have a lot of pull in the US market, if they’d just capitalize on it. They could start their own handset revolution (a la Apple) and just use the carriers as a distribution platform. How sweet would that be… LG and HTC being the only two OEMs that will sell to carriers wants and needs? Moto doesn’t care anymore.

        • Apple could pull out of all carrier stores with minimal margin hit. They’re the bulldogs, and they know it. Samsung needs to sack up and do the same. Everyone else follows suit, and the carriers are just a dumb pipe.

      • The point is that Apple doesn’t need the carriers to do their updates.. We’re not talking about where customers buy their devices, we’re talking about who pushes the device updates.. in this sense D2C software updates should be the norm and will get there eventually.

      • Anymore, that’s changing. Due to the industry of “no contracts”. Apple will allow you to finance your phone now, and your carrier more than likely won’t let you do a 2 yr contract anymore (Remnants are Sprint and ATT, but they’ll follow suit.) Realistically, in the next 1-2 years, there will be no difference from buying your phone directly from the OEM or through the carrier, except for the fact that if locked down phones continue, there won’t be any innovation in that sector. There’s an apple store in every state just about, so if people wanted to get an iPhone, they just have to travel a little further. And a Samsung etc etc, best buy is always there. If they’re technophobes who don’t like shopping online. This scenario could totally happen, and it wouldn’t change the outcomes of the companies involved, because people who want an iPhone… Will get an iPhone.

    • Talk is cheap. NO ONE is doing it right now, they are all just running their mouths about how they’re “going to do it”. I’ll believe it when I see it.

      • Really? Because Moto is doing it now. So is google. Apple has been doing it for quite some time, they just have so much pull, they’re able to put their devices in carrier stores without any tampering.

        • Really? I haven’t gotten a single monthly security update on my Moto X Pure and I’ve owned it for almost 2 months now. And at the time of the article, Google hadn’t pushed any monthly security updates to my Nexus 6 either. So yeah, my original comment stands.

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