HTC One Android 5.0 Lollipop Update: New Details Emerge

Since first being announced back in October many smartphone owners like those with the HTC One or HTC One M8 have been anxiously awaiting more details regarding the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. It has arrived for a few devices already, including the HTC One and HTC One M8 Google Play Edition handsets, but below we’ll go over what regular HTC One owners need to know about the Android 5.0 update.

Earlier this week HTC admitted that they wouldn’t meet their initial goal of rolling out Android 5.0 Lollipop to all owners within 90 days of the release date, which was February 3rd. Now just a few days later and this morning the Sprint HTC One (M7) Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update has started, more are coming soon, and we’re now seeing Android 5.0.2 updates arrive.

Read: 15 Best HTC One M8 Accessories

Back in November HTC confirmed many of its popular and most recent Android smartphones would receive an upgrade to the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop update, and now it’s finally starting to be released for multiple users. The One M8 is getting Android 5.0 in multiple regions, including Canada, and now today we’ve learned the original HTC One (M7) is getting the same treatment.

While we’ve seen a few Android 5.0 Lollipop updates arrive outside of the US for HTC devices, the LG G3, and some Samsung smartphones, it’s now starting to trickle into US carriers. Verizon updated the Galaxy S5 to Android 5.0 this week, Sprint started today, and multiple HTC owners are enjoying the same new treat.

HTC One (M7) Android 5.0.1 Update

As we mentioned above, yesterday HTC confirmed the original HTC One on Sprint would see Android 5.0.1 Lollipop starting today, and it has indeed started rolling out to owners. This is the first US HTC Android 5.0 update since the developer edition saw it in January, but more are coming.

Recently the famed leakster and HTC developer LlabTooFer has revealed tons of details about the upcoming HTC One M8 Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update. Confirming HTC will indeed be pushing Android 5.0.1 (or even Android 5.0.2) to users soon, and is showing off the progress with some leaked screenshots and video of the software working in full.

The HTC One and HTC One M8 Google Play Edition phones were the first non Nexus smartphones to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and the regular variants for carriers and around the globe are next. HTC hit the 90 day goal in some regions, but not in the US.

Overall all the grey and white colors have stayed in tact, something many HTC owners love, but they’ve introduced all the new animations and features or Android 5.0 Lollipop. We also see a new “Easy Mode” on the HTC, which will make the devices more appealing to first-time smartphone buyers. HTC has also added all the new lockscreen controls introduced with Android 5.0 Lollipop to their devices.

Read: Android 5.0 vs Android 4.4 KitKat: What’s New in Lollipop

Google’s Material Design user interface guidelines have been elegantly blended into HTC Sense UI 6.0, which will be on board with the Android 5.0 update once it arrives for everyone. And now that we’re seeing Android 5.0.1 Lollipop for the original HTC One, the One M8 is up next and should start arriving any day now.

HTC One Android 5.0.2 Update

While we’re now seeing Android 5.0.1 Lollipop hit the Sprint HTC One, and likely coming soon for other carriers in the United States, the company hasn’t stopped there is is still busy working on updates to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, Google’s latest bug fixer.

According to the same developer and leakster as above, @LlabTooFer, the HTC One (M7) Developer Edition is getting Android 5.0.2 Lollipop this morning. It’s a large 702MB update, and is rolling out as we speak. This means HTC is working on that release too, but also delivering the latest 5.0.1 to as many devices and carriers as it can now.

Not much is known at the moment, but it’s clear that HTC is working hard to keep all of their devices up to date. Since Google’s just recently released Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, HTC will likely move forward in delivering Android 5.0.1 Lollipop to all HTC One and One M8 owners first, then possibly push a second update in the coming weeks or moths with Android 5.0.2 on board.

Slow Arrival

Just as a reminder, this is a slow and staggered update. What this means is that Google and its partner carriers aren’t pushing the update out to all user at once. If they did the process would take longer for downloads to complete, and if any problems arise they won’t be able to stop it before millions of owners get the update.

As a result, Google does staged or staggered rollouts in small percentages, then bigger quantities, and finishes off the remaining 50-100% of users after 2-4 days of rollouts. This prevents further problems, keeps the update process running smooth, and ensures the best experience. HTC will do the same, and the Android 5.0 update was slightly delayed to include fixed with Android 5.0.1, and we could see further delays now that Android 5.0.2 has emerged.

We know waiting can sometimes be a hassle, especially if your device has a few bugs you’d like addressed, but the update should be here soon enough. Hopefully early this month, rather than pushing into March.

Android 5.0 Problems

The release of Android 5.0 Lollipop was the initial software debut, and as expected a few small bugs needed to be addressed. Once millions of users got it, more reports surfaced that got Google working on a fix. And while there will likely be a few small issues with Android 5.0.1 Lollipop too, it should fix a majority of the problems Nexus users have been facing.

Nexus 7 devices have struggled with video playback and reboot issues, the Nexus 5 had some batter issues, and the Nexus 6 Android 5.0 release saw complaints about freezing, battery drain, app restarts and reboots, as well as a few other minor problems that should hopefully all be addressed in future updates.

Most likely any bugs in Android 5.0.1 will be fixed once Android 5.0.2 Lollipop heads to more devices other than just the developer edition units.

US Carriers

The HTC One and the newer One M8 are available from most carriers in the United States, but it hasn’t received too many carrier or software updates. Sprint beat everyone else to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and they could do the same with Android 5.0.2 now that it’s starting to arrive as well. HTC’s working hard to keep all owners happy, so stay tuned, as we should know more about each carrier soon enough.

In the past AT&T has been first to updates from HTC, ahead of others such as Verizon. While we can’t say for sure, carriers likely will have a big say regarding the HTC One Android 5.0 update, and they’ll likely release it in stages from each carrier at a different time. Sprint is going now, and we could see AT&T and Verizon next.

This means those on AT&T can expect it to arrive at a different time than T-Mobile, or Verizon, but we’re not sure when that will actually happen. With Android 5.0 already rolling out to a few HTC One owners, HTC has turned its attention to one of its biggest markets for the next update. That being the United States.

Delays

Of course, delays are always a possibility, and we’ve seen plenty of them from HTC in the past few years. Lately they’ve done a better job regarding software updates for many smartphones, but the possibility of delays is still very real. Above we mentioned Google’s already released Android 5.0.2 a slightly newer version with bug fixes, and that could cause a few potential problems for LG, HTC, and other manufacturers.

Many of them are in the final stages of software updates, getting approval from Google or carriers, and more, and will now have to integrate the Android 5.0.2 changes into the final release. That or push two different updates like we’re seeing this week with the original HTC One (M7). We’ve seen some go forward without adding the newest additions, and some delay the release to ensure the most up to date software as possible.

All said and done, HTC promised updates for US HTC One and One M8 owners within 90 days of November 3rd, and we’re still waiting for those to arrive. With updates surfacing today for the original HTC One (M7) from Sprint and the Developer Edition, we’re expecting news from other carriers and for the HTC One M8 any day now. The wait won’t be much longer, so hang in there.