HTC has taken to updating its Jelly Bean Update FAQ page on its site to further elaborate on its initial plans to update its device lineup to Jelly Bean. As a result it has also confirmed that selected models in its current and 2011 lineup will not be updated to the newest version of the operating system.
In addition to the HTC One X and HTC One S, we are actively reviewing our product portfolio to identify candidates to receive Jelly Bean. Our goal is to prioritize review for devices launched in 2012 with our numerous carrier partners across multiple regions and then consider our ability to provide updates to products from 2011.
As expected of such a leading statement, HTC has also confirmed the selected models that it will not update due to hardware constraints, which will invariably be left to the modder community to provide the derivative updates in order to keep the devices current.
We work hard to ensure each of our products has the optimal user experience and therefore some products will remain at their current version of Android. In general, devices with 512MB RAM or less will not be upgraded to Android 4.1. At present, these devices include the HTC One V and the HTC Desire C. As we identify other devices that will not be upgraded, we’ll provide updated information.
It should be noted that the One V has had US variants released, notably on Virgin Mobile and we have recommended the phone in the past as a much less expensive alternative to the iPod Touch based on its flexibility in comparison.
Translation: Low-end phones won’t get updated, even though they probably could. And, while we promised to upgrade phones for two years, we’re not going back and updating Thunderbolt unless we become the size of Apple… by tomorrow.
Thanks HTC. Go Nexus go!