When HTC initially came out with its updated ICS plans for the HTC handsets that found their way to US shores, the Taiwanese smartphone and tablet manufacturer confirmed that the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt will be among the devices that will get cranked up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. A couple of weeks ago, the manufacturer came out in the open and confirmed that the ICS update will land on the HTC Thunderbolt before the end of August. With this announcement, users of the handset knew that had something to hold on to in terms of the ICS update for the HTC Thunderbolt and have since then waiting for that little notification to let them know that ICs has already landed on their smartphones. Sad to say, the calendar now shows September and yet HTC Thunderbolt users are still waiting for that tasty Ice Cream Sandwich update on their devices.
Though it may look like HTC has forgotten about its self-imposed deadline, the truth is that the manufacturer is well aware of this. Responding to a question from an HTC Thunderbolt user on its official FaceBook page, the company admitted that they are aware of missing the deadline and are now working hand in hand with Verizon on the ICS software for the handset. The manufacturer also confirmed that it will notify its customers as soon as updates become available. The whole response from HTC is, and we quote “We’re aware we missed the deadline and know you’re looking forward to the update. We’re actively working with Verizon on ICS software for the Thunderbolt, and we’ll notify customers as soon as we have an update.”
However, if you read between the lines, could there be a possibility that HTC was able to keep its ICS timeline for the HTC Thunderbolt and Verizon is causing the delay of the rollout? Is this the manufacturer’s way of passing the buck over to the carrier?
We don’t know for sure.
What we do know however is Verizon is very compulsive when it comes to testing updates for its lineup of Android-powered devices. And it was HTC in the first place who gave out that deadline. The manufacturer will “lose face” if it were unable to follow through on that promise which is what we are seeing now.
Despite that, the HTC Thunderbolt is still one fine handset for that matter despite its aging status. The handset’s circuitry is built around the QualComm MSM8655 SnapDragon chipset in its internals while the computing power it requires is delivered by the handset’s 1 GHZ Scorpion processor and 768 MB of RAM. The storage space onboard the device only comes up to 4GB but this is still expandable so the meager internal memory of the handset shouldn’t be too much of an issue. The handset has a 4.3-inch TFT panel with a 480 x 800 resolution while its camera department includes a rear 8MP shooter while its front bezel houses the HTC Thunderbolt’s front-facing 1.3Mp video call and self-portrait camera.
September 4, 2012 at 9:24 am
HTC has never really come out with anything. A technician getting on Facebook with a T-Bolt user is not what I consider a company announcement! I’ll never buy one of their products again!