HTC has fallen well behind fellow Android supporter Samsung, so it can only help the smartphone maker to be the first to announce that several of its devices will soon receive the upgrade to Googles Android 4.1, known as Jelly Bean.
While many a high-end Android device has yet to receive 4.0, Googles Ice Cream Sandwich, HTC has confirmed that its large-but-light One handsets have Easter basket fare in their futures.
We know HTC fans are excited to get their hands on Googles latest version of Android. At this point in time, we can confirm that we have plans to upgrade our HTC One X, HTC One XL and HTC One S to Jelly Bean, HTC said in a statement, Engadget reported July 20. Please stay tuned for more updates regarding device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Jelly Bean.
Engadget added that carrier versions of the One X and One S at AT&T, T-Mobile and Rogers will also receive the update.
AT&Ts One X was a big summer release for HTC, which has watched its market share fall quarter after quarter. But in addition to being delayed in customs, while Apple and HTC did battle over patents in court, the phonelightweight and slim, with a 4.7-inch high-definition displayhas, like many other devices, been overshadowed by Samsungs Galaxy S III, which launched with five U.S. carriers after debuting in 28 other countries.
Until the HTC devices receive their upgrade, Googles own Nexus 7 tablet (made by Asus) is the only device currently running Jelly Bean. Its Galaxy Nexus 4G (made by Samsung), which ships with Ice Cream Sandwich, will surely be next in line.
While just a decimal over from Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean is a key update, benefitting from Googles Project Butter. As Googles David Burke explained during the keynote at Googles I/O developers conference, the goal was a buttery smooth user experience. Google introduced triple buffering in the graphics pipeline, said Burke, and figured out how to anticipate where the users finger would go next. The result is said to produce a magic moment, without choppiness or lag. A genuine difference-maker.
Other perks to the OS include improved notifications; widgets that can be automatically resized, making it possible to squeeze more on the home screen, or enlarge more important ones; Google Now, a service that improves the search experience with cards that offer richer information on a search topic; offline voice dictation; an improved Android Beam, making it simpler to share content between devices; and improved camera app that makes it easier to review and delete shots.
Samsung, beyond the Galaxy Nexus, isnt likely to be left out of the Jelly Bean fun for very long, and at the end of June it issued a statement saying as much. It told PocketNow:
Samsung leads the Android community with best-in-class devices like the Galaxy S III, and is creating new device categories with products like the Galaxy Note. Samsung has delivered the most Nexus-branded lead OS devices and we are pleased that Google will be bringing Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S customers the first experiences of Jelly Bean on a handheld device.
Stay tuned.