HTC Flyer ICS? - HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G

HTC has been really slow with updates, lately. They promised 2.3.3 for the desire early this year only to scrap it permanently by June. Who knows when HC update will come, but is it possible that HTC will continue its support for the Flyer with an ICS update?
One thing that I've admired about HTC and one of the reasons I decided to become their fanboy was that no matter how old a phone was, they continued supporting it. I remember a friend of mine had an HTC phone that he bought in 2004 and in 2007/2008 he still got updates for it. Now it seems they won't support a device for more than a year or two.
How long before they throw the HTC flyer away and decide its not upto tablet standards?

I believe ice cream sandwich is for phones and honey comb is for tablets.
Sent from my HTC Evo 3D

Ice Cream Sandwich will come for tablet and for smartphones.

Well, there's a leaked Honeycomb build floating around out there, so that makes me feel that we'll probably at least see Honeycomb. My guess is that we haven't seen it yet becuase Google decided to realease a 3.2 build for 7" tablets not too long ago, and HTC is probably reworking their Honeycomb plans around that build instead of 3.1.
That said, I wouldn't expect to see years and years of suppport on these products. Manufacturers are treating tablets as devices that you keep for a couple of years and then upgrade. That's why we don't get user replaceable batteries, for instance. And I think that, given that the underlying OS is still in its infancy, that's probably a fairly reasonable assumption.
As the OS matures we might see people holding on to their tablets longer, and we might see longer support cycles. But as it is now, if you plan on keeping your tablet for 5 years, you're probably best off buying an iPad. Since Apple makes so few models it's easy for them to support older devices. Plus the company really values customer loyaty (that's the only way they were able to stay afloat with 8-10% market share in a world dominated by the Wintel juggernaut).
That said, I'm pretty happy with my Flyer. I'd like to see software developers keep upgrading their products, but the HTC Flyer running Gingerbread does almost everything I'd want a tablet to do.

Related

Will HTC ever officially release Honeycomb for the Flyer?

I just got off the phone with tech support and it isn't on their system...of course, it is tech support and usually, they are some of the last people to know. But, considering how hard it is to upgrade to the leaked version, do you think HTC can take on the challenge and make the update fairly pain free?
Given the fact that we were told "Honeycomb would be released soon after launch" ... I'm not holding my breath and it really is unfortunate.
Can't even get ahold of the stock RUU for the US WiFi Flyer due to HTC's lack of updates.
My gut feeling, is they wouldn't have put all the effort into making a working HC ROM, if they weren't going to release it. Remember, the leak was beta. Presumably, it will take some time to go from beta to the release/final version. Maybe we'll see a leak for that. Even then, there is some lag time between when the final version is finished, and it actually starts getting pushed out.
From the HC install guide thread on Modaco:
If you're wondering 'why so many steps and why don't we just run the ruu'? There are 2 main reasons - firstly is the fact that you need s-off, which is generally the revolutionary bootloader, which protects itself from being overwritten - a problem as the new bootloader is necessary for HC. The second reason is that flashing RUU or rom.zip updates your misc partition version tag, which can seriously limit your options should something go wrong and / or you need to roll back to Gingerbread.
For the official HC update, it would seem that neither of these issues apply, so the official update process would probably be much easier.
Very unfortunate because the beta HC from HTC is very close but has enough bugs to keep me from using it. No US RUU means you cannot try out the beta and get back to stock and since Google refused to release HC source, not much chance a 3rd party custom ROM will fix problems like camera issues and other things on HC.
My suggestion for everyone to this repeating question, whether they take it is up to the individual, keep bugging @htc and @HTCUSA on twitter (if you have a twitter account)... Or find their facebook page and ask there. Those are usually worked by PR or CS instead of tech support.
Demand usually gets a result.
update
Here is what I asked them...
"Being the owner of several HTC Phones and enjoying their build quality, I recently purchased a HTC Flyer, thinking it would (as promised) get updated to Honeycomb.
Now, some web sites are reporting the flyer will not be updated.
I am now approaching my 30 day return window, so my question is, do I need to return my Flyer and buy something like the Samsung?
I really like HTC products but, I do want a device that (as promised) will get updated."
This was their reply ...
"Gary, We very much appreciate your loyalty to HTC and understand how it can be frustrating awaiting announced updates, especially when they take longer than anticipated to come out. We ask for your patience as the update is being developed and tested for your device. Thank you again!"
Guess we'll see
Edit ... I just sent this ...
"Thank you for your quick reply. As you know the official announcement was on Feb 11, 8 months ago saying the update to Honeycomb would be coming soon. The Flyer is approuching 1 year old and still no update. It seems like I may have to return my flyer and try another product. Thanks, Gary"
I am on the edge too about returning my Flyer. Friday is the last day I have to return it back to Best Buy.
I was generally more impressed with how HTC handled updates than Samsung, but seeing how this device has not recieved HC yet, I'm very much doubting that it will ever receive ICS. I am so much more interested in ICS than HC anyways. So I am thinking that I should return the Flyer and buy a newer tablet, Say the soon to be relased Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus which would have a much better chance of seeing an ICS update.
I really love the Flyer, but I am looking towards keeping a tablet for the long term...
The Toshiba Thrive 7 looks promising, but I fear a lack of dev support. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus then???
I'm leery of Samsung since they are being battered by Apple to the point of delaying their Google / Samsung joint next big thing that was scheduled for Oct.11. I don't expect you'll see ICS on a tablet for a long time since Google hasn't even released the Application layer yet and that's the easy part. After that the HW vendors have to do the kernels and drivers and that's what taking so long with HC right now.
mikejwatkins said:
I am on the edge too about returning my Flyer. Friday is the last day I have to return it back to Best Buy.
I was generally more impressed with how HTC handled updates than Samsung, but seeing how this device has not recieved HC yet, I'm very much doubting that it will ever receive ICS. I am so much more interested in ICS than HC anyways. So I am thinking that I should return the Flyer and buy a newer tablet, Say the soon to be relased Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus which would have a much better chance of seeing an ICS update.
I really love the Flyer, but I am looking towards keeping a tablet for the long term...
The Toshiba Thrive 7 looks promising, but I fear a lack of dev support. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus then???
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Click to collapse
Talk to current galaxy tab 7 wifi users about Samsung and their updates. That tablet is a year old and hasn't received gingerbread yet. You'll always be playing that game. Buy a tablet for what it has now, not what It's going to have. Be grateful that we have a stable ROM that works well. Dell Streak owners were pushing for 3.2, now half of them are reporting bugs and others are reverting to froyo. I rather them take the time to get it right. A beta build means they're working on it.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512 using Tapatalk
mikejwatkins said:
I am on the edge too about returning my Flyer. Friday is the last day I have to return it back to Best Buy.
I was generally more impressed with how HTC handled updates than Samsung, but seeing how this device has not recieved HC yet, I'm very much doubting that it will ever receive ICS. I am so much more interested in ICS than HC anyways. So I am thinking that I should return the Flyer and buy a newer tablet, Say the soon to be relased Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus which would have a much better chance of seeing an ICS update.
I really love the Flyer, but I am looking towards keeping a tablet for the long term...
The Toshiba Thrive 7 looks promising, but I fear a lack of dev support. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus then???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too like the Flyer but, I think I’ll go with the Lenovo ThinkPad … already has HoneyComb and a much better Notes app.
HDMI and full size usb ports
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...3A2177ABA63564CDF6AE8CD837B3&tabname=Features
Yeah.... no, I tried to like the big 10 inch. I had a Asus Transformer which worked great, but no, just couldn't really love lugging a huge slate. I have a laptop which is much more capable for lugging. SO I am really digging the Flyer
Kudzus said:
I too like the Flyer but, I think I’ll go with the Lenovo ThinkPad … already has HoneyComb and a much better Notes app.
HDMI and full size usb ports
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...3A2177ABA63564CDF6AE8CD837B3&tabname=Features
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Click to collapse
But have you actually use it? I haven't tried the flyer..but the Thinkpad tablet I have an eval unit right now in front of me and it's horrible!...main issue I have with it is that it's really sluggish...and big!...also, palm rejection probably works like 70% of the time..so as I take some notes..I get specks of dots/lines around where my palm is...
I'm not impressed by the stylus pen so far. Maybe it is much better like they say in HC, but I haven't used it yet, so that was a waste of money.
The Flyer itself is awesome. Good hardware, quality build, great HTC Sense overlay on top of GB. I do like it.
I was unaware that Samsung hadn't released an update for the wifi tab after so long. That is discouraging. But I would really like a device that will see ICS.
If the flyer was dual core and or had a slightly higher resolution screen, I'd definately keep it. But right now I'm still debating.
All HTC needs to do is update their gingerbread built to support pen in any applications users wants it to work..and I think most user would be happy..
That seems to be the issue I've been hearing about the Flyer GB build? Is that right?
DigitalMD said:
Yeah.... no, I tried to like the big 10 inch. I had a Asus Transformer which worked great, but no, just couldn't really love lugging a huge slate. I have a laptop which is much more capable for lugging. SO I am really digging the Flyer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. If I can't put it in my back pocket I don't want it.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P512 using Tapatalk
aarick said:
All HTC needs to do is update their gingerbread built to support pen in any applications users wants it to work..and I think most user would be happy..
That seems to be the issue I've been hearing about the Flyer GB build? Is that right?
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Click to collapse
I only really have two complaints about the GB Flyer vs. HC. other than the pen.
1. The Sense widgets are huge on GB and the screen grid layout is sized for a phone, not a table. HC looks so much better.
2. The browser in HC seamlessly syncs bookmarks with desktop Chrome and other settings automatically are backed up in a much better fashion than GB.
aarick said:
All HTC needs to do is update their gingerbread built to support pen in any applications users wants it to work..and I think most user would be happy..
That seems to be the issue I've been hearing about the Flyer GB build? Is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EXACTLY
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda premium
I really doubt that HTC will update Flyer. I sent email to them asking about that. Their answer is not satisfying me. They say that I should wait, if there is update I will get a notification. That is really a bad answer !!!
The reason I bought Flyer is for Magic stylus. But, I am really dissapointed. There is no handwriting recognition. I may not need update, but surely I need apps that can maximize the use of stylus....
Cheers...
aarick said:
But have you actually use it? I haven't tried the flyer..but the Thinkpad tablet I have an eval unit right now in front of me and it's horrible!...main issue I have with it is that it's really sluggish...and big!...also, palm rejection probably works like 70% of the time..so as I take some notes..I get specks of dots/lines around where my palm is...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That happens sometimes with the Flyer too. They're both based on the same technology, but Lenovo's has handwriting recognition.
I do love the 7 inch form factor but, man, the Lenovo tablets are looking really attractive right now, especially with both a stylus and a keyboard.
mikejwatkins said:
I'm not impressed by the stylus pen so far. Maybe it is much better like they say in HC, but I haven't used it yet, so that was a waste of money.
The Flyer itself is awesome. Good hardware, quality build, great HTC Sense overlay on top of GB. I do like it.
I was unaware that Samsung hadn't released an update for the wifi tab after so long. That is discouraging. But I would really like a device that will see ICS.
If the flyer was dual core and or had a slightly higher resolution screen, I'd definately keep it. But right now I'm still debating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the little bit off-topic.
Samsung did upgrade my ex-galaxy tab 7 with GB 3 months ago. After the upgrade, things were smoothly but the chip is still 1G.. playing HD games were still slow. Anyways, I already sold it and bought the 10.1 and it was much faster... and nicer but too big for me.. and I sold it too after I saw a price drop for the flyer.
I am thinking to get the flyer since I really enjoy smaller tablet. 10.1 was nice but too big for me and my kids. I am thinking
1) flyer
2) galaxy tab 7+ (good size dual-core, HC ready and possible ICS in the future)
3) galaxy tab 8.9 (my prefer - I have tried it @best buy, really love the size HC + touchwiz was cool)
may I ask someone who have the flyer
1) do you see/feel any slowness playing games? since it is single-core. my ex-tab 7 was slow sometime.. but my 10.1 was so smooth.
2) how is the pen? my sons like to draw, is it worth to pay 80 bucks to get the pen?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

why is the adoption of ICS been so slow?

it's been 10 months since it was previewed, 5 months since it was first released.
And only 1.5% of the Android market share is ICS.
What is going on?
I think ICS is a product fails, so it was not released. and overcome, they will use the JellyBean.
It's just my opinion.
Sent from my SK17i using xda premium
What is so compelling about it? I can customize gingerbread to have any features it has. Its not like ios which restricts functionality and appearance to the os level.
The only thing I miss is chrome.
Probably for the same reasons that all Android updates take a while to go out. Manufacturers face several hurdles when they update their phones to a new version of Android. They have to update all drivers to support any changes made to the OS, go through a ton of testing and QA to make sure nothing is broken (remember, not everyone who owns a smartphone can troubleshoot it or go to XDA when something doesn't work, and not every smartphone is fast enough to run new versions of Android). When all that's done, they have to get carrier approval, which means even more testing and other administrative work. Now take all that work and keep in mind that updating phones does not make the manufacturer any kind of profit. These phones have already been sold, and the companies might not be too motivated to rush the creation of an update with no monetary worth.
Now think on a larger scale. The Android ecosystem consists of hundreds of phones released by a ton of manufacturers all over the place, and Google doesn't really have that much control over how the manufacturers run their businesses. The result is the fragmentation we've seen across the platform. Compare that to Apple, which only has to support the last three iPhones, three iPads and two iPod touches, and you can start to understand how iOS updates faster.
Obviously, the manufacturers release updates anyways because otherwise their customers would hate them, their reputation would go way down, and they'd never be able to sell anything to anyone. However, they can still afford to take their time, especially since developers are more than happy to do that work for them.
If Google would let OEMs get in on development earlier they wouldn't be so behind. So the OEMs get the source code late. Instead of just adding drivers and releasing it, the OEMs decide to make their own launchers and bundle bloatware. The whole Android OEM update system is slow and inefficient. I wish we could somehow get updates directly from Google on all devices.
Minimum hardware requirements
Maybe it's because the minimum hardware requirements for ICS mandate more ram, faster processor, etc.. That rules out upgrades of the installed base and adds cost to new products, so the device manufacturers are sticking with Gingerbread for a while longer.
If i recall ... there's is only one ICS released device. The G-Nex.
There are 20million + galaxy s2's out there and another 20 million + galaxy s1's. Add in ten million or so assorted HTC devices and another few million LG and Moto and other oems.
Once more devices with ICS are released, you'll see the percentage increased.
All the GS2's will get ICS soon and many OG Galaxy owners will be near upgrading time (GS3 or so). It'll be rising once the real powerhouses come into town.
Russianzilla already answered out but the basic reason is that phone manufacturers are taking too long to release ics to their owners - for a number of reasons. This means overall adoption is limited to G Nexus buyers and custom room flashers worth compatible devices - hence your miniscule adoption rate
Its not about fragmentation and hardware support, this is business and profit. Its about people still buying gingerbread phones!
If there was some exciting new feature on ics that you couldnt get on an older os/device (siri), people would be waiting with their money and oems would be scrambling. Oems are simply responding to market demand and the market is apparently still good on 2.3 with a promise of upgrade. (Deliver on that promise at their leisure)
spunker88 said:
If Google would let OEMs get in on development earlier they wouldn't be so behind. So the OEMs get the source code late. Instead of just adding drivers and releasing it, the OEMs decide to make their own launchers and bundle bloatware. The whole Android OEM update system is slow and inefficient. I wish we could somehow get updates directly from Google on all devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the bloatware. Wouldn't want people getting ICS without Sense or MOTOBLUR on top. (Although from what I've heard, Sense 4.0 is much better than it used to be.)
russianzilla said:
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the bloatware. Wouldn't want people getting ICS without Sense or MOTOBLUR on top. (Although from what I've heard, Sense 4.0 is much better than it used to be.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sense 4 is beautiful... Plus its lighter and faster than the older versions. We're running a cameraless beta over at the desire s forums, and it looks promising.
Beamed from the Dark Side using xda premium.
The framework of ICS alone is hell to tamper with, a dev would need at least 100+ GB (yes GIGABYTES) of space on a Linux PC just to set up an environment and create 1, maybe 2 not even fully functional builds of ICS.! And that's for one phone. Imagine HTC trying to build icsandwich or icsense for all of there phones (at least 15), trying to create an evo 3d optimized build to support 3d apps and camera which is near impossible even with the drivers and source code, trying to build for various screen resolutions and hardware (which isn't impossible because the g1, androids FIRST phone, runs a pretty damn stable ICS with few bugs), and on top of that, manufacturers aren't like devs (who will release with bugs and work as they go), it is there goal to release as close to a perfect build as possible, and that just isn't feesable, trying to keep your hardware and software for all of your latest models up to date just isn't something that can be done
Sent from my HTC Evo 3D using xda premium
Manufacturers are greedy. So they want to make money by new phones. If they release ics to old phones, people wouldn't upgrade to new phones. Therefore less money for greedy manufacturers if they upgrade old phones to latest version of Android.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
ljordan2 said:
Manufacturers are greedy. So they want to make money by new phones. If they release ics to old phones, people wouldn't upgrade to new phones. Therefore less money for greedy manufacturers if they upgrade old phones to latest version of Android.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks this way
Sent from my HTC Evo 3D using xda premium
zonyl said:
If there was some exciting new feature on ics that you couldnt get on an older os/device (siri), people would be waiting with their money and oems would be scrambling. Oems are simply responding to market demand and the market is apparently still good on 2.3 with a promise of upgrade. (Deliver on that promise at their leisure)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't think so. Ics is the biggest leap Android ever made, it is the first time you're dealing with something that doesn't feel patched up and thoughtless. Gingerbread sure as heck can do most of the things that ics can but everyone knows that the sum is more than it's parts. user interaction and user experience was never part of the gingerbread equation. What you're getting with ics is a modern os that was conceived for modern devices and if that isn't exciting then I don't know.
Oems are too greedy and too stupid to get the picture, that's why ics hasn't been adopded. they still think they can bull**** their customers as they have done for years with no one except Apple standing up for itself. and they'll bail out on jellybean aswell. Samsung just barfed touchwiz on ics, and still some seriously believe devices like the s3 will be getting jb? never going to happen. In future they'll probably be left behind. New Companies will step up, see the potential, understand that openness and customer care can be profitable, and replace them. Look what happened to Nokia, they ruled the 90s. Same will happen to Samsung and Co.
molesarecoming said:
they'll bail out on jellybean aswell. Samsung just barfed touchwiz on ics, and still some seriously believe devices like the s3 will be getting jb? never going to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, it's too early to say that. Do you really hope that Samsung or other manufacturers would bail JB? Because I really hope they don't. You're being a bit too pessimistic here.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
ICS slow or broken
russianzilla said:
Probably for the same reasons that all Android updates take a while to go out. Manufacturers face several hurdles when they update their phones to a new version of Android. They have to update all drivers to support any changes made to the OS, go through a ton of testing and QA to make sure nothing is broken (remember, not everyone who owns a smartphone can troubleshoot it or go to XDA when something doesn't work, and not every smartphone is fast enough to run new versions of Android). When all that's done, they have to get carrier approval, which means even more testing and other administrative work. Now take all that work and keep in mind that updating phones does not make the manufacturer any kind of profit. These phones have already been sold, and the companies might not be too motivated to rush the creation of an update with no monetary worth.
Now think on a larger scale. The Android ecosystem consists of hundreds of phones released by a ton of manufacturers all over the place, and Google doesn't really have that much control over how the manufacturers run their businesses. The result is the fragmentation we've seen across the platform. Compare that to Apple, which only has to support the last three iPhones, three iPads and two iPod touches, and you can start to understand how iOS updates faster.
Obviously, the manufacturers release updates anyways because otherwise their customers would hate them, their reputation would go way down, and they'd never be able to sell anything to anyone. However, they can still afford to take their time, especially since developers are more than happy to do that work for them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All good points. To address the section I've bolded, I refer to a point Chainfire gave in response to a pocketnow.com article. ICS isn't a broken or a product flop but a bigger OS jump for the phones than the tablets. The Transformer Prime updated first cause it was an easier transition from honeycomb. The phones requiring more work are taking longer.
Now on top of that point, the OEM's are adding their skins like sense, motoblur, touchwiz and the like. A shame in most cases but it is what it is. It also adds to the delay. More so as ICS is a bigger upgrade iteration then Gingerbread or Froyo was.
While no direct financial gain is to be had from OEM's investing in these upgrades, there is reputation. Of course a good upgrade cycle experience would encourage repeat business rather than consumers abandon a certain OEM's phones or android entirely which a portion of people are doing.
This of course leads to other questions, ones that may need their own thread.
Questions like should android OEM's embrace a less is more strategy. Fewer styles phones with more focus and polish. Can Google enforce its android alliance, or is Google even willing to. Or should it focus smashing the patent war?
I think whatever we see put out of Asus and Moto in the next 18 months will address these questions I've asked.
ljordan2 said:
Dude, it's too early to say that. Do you really hope that Samsung or other manufacturers would bail JB? Because I really hope they don't. You're being a bit too pessimistic here.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I sure hope they don't but then again that's what they are doing right now. ics is a major iteration, the biggest change Android has ever had, Android reconceived from scratch. And yet they skipped it, or worse, somehow saw the need to disfigure it. what makes you think they wouldn't do the same when jb comes out, which, as many people believe, will probably introduce a smaller margin to ics than ics did to gb.
molesarecoming said:
I sure hope they don't but then again that's what they are doing right now. ics is a major iteration, the biggest change Android has ever had, Android reconceived from scratch. And yet they skipped it, or worse, somehow saw the need to disfigure it. what makes you think they wouldn't do the same when jb comes out, which, as many people believe, will probably introduce a smaller margin to ics than ics to gb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well no one knows the future. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope that oems would update our device.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
It's a giant clusterfuck of stupidity from all sides.
1. The manufacturers want you to upgrade more frequently. In their eyes, they have no incentive to push timely upgrades because they would make people keep their phones longer.
2. The carriers pressure the manufacturers into skinning Android because they apparently don't a bunch of Android devices that look to be running the same software next to the iPhone. They feel as though they need variety in hardware AND software on their sales floors. This leads to slower adoption as new skins for new versions of Android have to be made by companies that really have no business making software of this kind.
3. Google has basically just been sitting idly by while all of their effort to make what is without a doubt the best mobile OS out there (ICS) is destroyed/ignored by the manufacturers and carriers.
Here's why they're all misguided:
1. The manufacturers are more focused on tricking people into upgrading instead of providing people with the best products available. This is where companies like Apple excel whereas others just don't get it.
2. The carriers don't need a bunch of different skins on their Android devices. This just does not logically follow. Windows machines have been sold on the same sales floor for years without problems. The distinction should be in hardware, not crippling software differences that fragment the user experience.
3. Google needs to do one thing: expand the Nexus line. They can't really impose restrictions on manufacturers like Microsoft can because Android is open source. Three devices in as many years just isn't enough, ESPECIALLY when the current Nexus device is only on one carrier. Imagine two Nexus devices (a larger one and a smaller one) on the four major carriers? That would seriously improve the Android brand. The vast majority of consumers have no idea what ICS even looks like. That is truly a shame at this point.
Gingerbread is a solid OS but it just isn't polished enough to compare to iOS at first glance (and remember, first glance is what sells phones). ICS is essentially a gorgeous version of Gingerbread that blows iOS out of the water. Consumers are getting the shaft by not being able to experience it. Thank god my Captivate has a couple stock ICS ROMs here on XDA. Otherwise, I'd be pretty frustrated with my mobile phone experience at this point.

There will be no update from HTC, time to move on.

I gotta say it how it is. Your wasting time and energy trying to change their minds about the subject. HTC is clueless and most likely will be bought out before the end of the year. Don't fret though you have options. For one, we got some great developers here working to make honeycomb better and bring us ICS and Jelly Bean. But if you can't stand your flyer anymore and don't wanna hold out for our developers, then welcome to the era of cheap tablets! The Flyer is still worth some bucks on ebay, if you got a 32gig model with a pen you can get over 200 for it easy. And with that you could grab a Nexus 7 or Gtab2.
I know where you guys are coming from and trust me I was there too. I was looking for an affordable tablet with decent specs and passed over several other nice tablets because this was an HTC and I expected more from it. I didn't expect an ics update but I thought I'd like honeycomb more, and when I saw this tablet for $200 and honeycomb I was all about it.
We've already tried everything from spamming their Facebook page to online petitions. HTC is cleaning their slate and trying to start over with the one series. Will it work? Probably not because they are pissing off alot of customers on the process and it's too little too late for HTC. Sense 4 is a step in the right direction but it's still a far departure from stock ics and still too intrusive, and since the galaxy s3 launch you've heard very little about the one series.
Just remember you can always cut your losses and buy another tablet. That's what finally calmed me down, realizing that.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk 2
Or you can enjoy the Flyer for what it is. I'm perfectly happy with my Flyer and can see myself holding on to it for another year or so. It does what I wanted then I bought it. A year from now I'll probably start looking for something a bit faster. Let's face it: no Android update is going to put a Tegra 3 into this device. But for now, my Flyer is just great, than you very much.
Its my eBook reader. And being an HTC fanboy for so long (7 years?), I'm going to steer away from them. Google branded nexus devices are best imo, in terms of updates and such. I've bought too many devices from HTC in the past 3-4 years that have been abandoned by them just soon after release.
I like my Flyer the way it is. And it does what it's supposed to. But it doesn't change the fact that, should it be updated to ICS, it will move faster that on HC, be compatible with more apps, and all in all, be better.
To me, it's a pity it's not updated. It's not the end of the world, it's just... sad.
dsf3g said:
Or you can enjoy the Flyer for what it is. I'm perfectly happy with my Flyer and can see myself holding on to it for another year or so. It does what I wanted then I bought it. A year from now I'll probably start looking for something a bit faster. Let's face it: no Android update is going to put a Tegra 3 into this device. But for now, my Flyer is just great, than you very much.
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+1 I am in love with my flyer. I too enjoy the flyer for what it is and will be holding onto it as it does what I wanted when i bought it. the only thing I wish I had was chrome browser (hopefully will get that as soon as Lisbon is fully developed). I think I just need to stop reading posts that make me feel that I should be dissatisfied when i am in fact very satisfied. I also need to stop reading post whereas it's as if HTC owes me something more for what I purchased. well maybe they do and maybe they don't but it does get tiresome reading complaints about it when in fact either nothing is going to be done about it or the complaints are made to those who can't do anything about it. and before I get screamed on - I know that this is a forum and it's purpose is to voice your opinion as often and as loud as you want. it's just that I want people to show the flyer some love. so now that I've had my say (which is really just said tongue in cheek) I would just like to say "can't we all just get along?"
Glad you guys can because if we didn't have developers I would of sold mine after 3 months. It your choice of gigantic phone or tablet ui slower than an atari 2600. Just sayin lol.
I'll be fair in saying gingerbread isn't bad but the Google apps running in phone mode and looking hideous kill it for me
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
At any rate I'm enjoying mine now. Got mine on ioidroid senseless honeycomb, found an old version of adw ex where the tablet ui displays correctly and, I got things pretty spartan on it, and it works and its fast too. Overall for me the goal is to have an Android tablet that's fast and usable, not necessarily up to date
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
to be honest I am not happy with the lack of software updates but I have not found a replacement 7" tablet on the market that can replace my Flyer's functionality. So I may not buy another HTC device, but if I am being honest it is a featured packed device that handles nearly every task you can throw at it. Now I didnt pay full price, and I likely would be more upset if I did, but for the $299 I paid for mine it is a very nice device.
Cor-master said:
Glad you guys can because if we didn't have developers I would of sold mine after 3 months. It your choice of gigantic phone or tablet ui slower than an atari 2600. Just sayin lol.
I'll be fair in saying gingerbread isn't bad but the Google apps running in phone mode and looking hideous kill it for me
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
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well to be honest my love for the flyer is mainly due to the devs (and I prefer honeycomb over gingerbread). but the way that I see it is to just make the best of the situation at hand. if you can move on then by all means move on. if you can't afford to then make the best of what you have. and if you are sticking around for the sake of sticking around then please don't cry along the way and bring others down. And I'm not speaking of anyone in particular, please I don't want to make any enemies here. I come here for the fun of it not to chastise anyone (if I wanted to do that I have three children) or to be chastised (I have a wife for that)
When I find a decent tablet with a phone that takes a SIM card, I'll be all over it. That Samsung looks promising but I don't know if it'll take a SIM card.
Yeah I can't complain, my flyer cost me $200, and if I had waited for the Nexus 7 I wouldn't have the money now because my wife would of spent it on something else lol. That's married life for ya. At any rate I've gotten my money's worthy out of it and I got it running pretty fast. Just sick of the recent rally to try and get ics from htc again, didn't we just go through this a couple of months ago? It's a lost cause if you really want ics you either need to cut your losses or just be patient with our developers because it's not like one person decided not to update the flyer, a board of directors and a lot of other people did, and there simply aren't enough flyer owners to have any pull with HTC anyway
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Tapatalk 2
I like my flyer, it is great for browsing and casual computing. I love the capacity of the unit and the expandability. It does everything I need. I'm still on GB; I never thought that HC was that good for a 7 inch tablet.
It's not really designed for 7 inch tabs no doubt. Really I'd be fine with gingerbread if the Google apps were just tablet optimized. Jelly bean addresses the need for a separate tablet ui for 7 inch tabs but imo they didn't put much thinking into it as you now have 2 black bars instead of 1
Also the phone launcher just sucks imo. Should of kept the honeycomb launcher and kept the buttons where they put them but no bar just buttons.
But on that note if we can get jelly bean with virtual buttons disabled it might just be perfect for our old tablet
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
I don't care if HTC is going to be bought by someone, I'm going to keep trying to get the update. I might not get it, but at least they'll have to see what they've done written at their facebook pages and many more will know. Call it revenge, vendetta, whatever you want, I don't care, I own 4 Sensations too, and I've been a loyal HTC customer for years... and I have never been in this situation before. I can understand HTC not updating a device released two years ago, but the Flyer was released a year ago and ICS 6 months later.
And they're lying at us saying the tablet is optimized for Honeycomb... I don't like it when people lie to me.
Here in Europe the Flyer 3g was sold at 700€. That's 848 US $ at today's exchange rate... It's not a cheap device and it should have the update to something presented 6 months after Flyer was released. Don't you think???
I agree, my flyer cost USD 700. Not so fortunate. I really appreciate your effort.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium
I purchased the Flyer because of its pen functionality and what it could do out of the box. Anyone who's ever purchased an Android phone knows that most devices only see one major software update. The Flyer got Honeycomb, which was no small feat. To my knowledge, HTC was the only OEM to update a tablet from Android 2.3 to Android 3.0. For a half second, I contemplated getting the Nexus 7, but I can't bear the thought of losing my pen functionality simply to say that I have a faster tablet with the latest version of Android.
I take issue with the statement that HTC will be bought out by the end of the year. While HTC has suffered a huge loss in the past three quarters, the company's revenue and profits are still solid. If HTC were a U.S. traded company, it would rank between 150-180 in the fortune 500 list and its YTD 2012 profits would be comparable to CBS, Progressive and Sysco.
Yeah but they still are clueless at what people want. Take the one series. Where are the sd cards and removable batteries? And why does the att version have half the storage? Why does sense 4.0 still have a gingerbreadish looking notification bar? Who gives a rats ass about beats by Dre?
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
Cor-master said:
Who gives a rats ass about beats by Dre?
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
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Apparently HTC doesn't since they decided not to meet financial obligations to Beats....
nickmgray said:
To my knowledge, HTC was the only OEM to update a tablet from Android 2.3 to Android 3.0.
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See also: Dell Streak 7....
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kardain said:
Apparently HTC doesn't since they decided not to meet financial obligations to Beats....
See also: Dell Streak 7....
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Well, they never updated my 4g dell streak!
Sent from my HTC View somewhere in LALA land
nickmgray said:
... Anyone who's ever purchased an Android phone knows that most devices only see one major software update....
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Click to collapse
well, my first android phone (X10i) went from 1.6 -> 2.1 and eventually to 2.3.3 even though SE at the time was not know for their great support in regards to updating firmwares.

New Flyer 2 rumors...

http://androidandme.com/2012/09/tab...fire&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews
Oh man... I may have to hold off on my plan to upgrade to an N7...biggest question is price... Will they charge another $500+ (that's what I paid for my Flyer), or compete with the N7 & Fire on that level too?
I chose the red pill... Now I'm in the mAtrix and I know Kung Fu... in HD!
http://android-gz.com
Price points closer to Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire seems like a more feasible marketing tact than taking the "high road" which clearly did not work for the "original" Flyer.
I'm willing to pay more for a higher quality product. But the "race to the bottom" on Android tablet price seems to be the popular business model these days. Low price has resulted in big sales, and popularity has its perks, as more popular devices get better development, and also better support from accessory manufacturers.
I'm not quite ready to upgrade from the Flyer. But if I were, the Nexus 7 would be the lead candidate, and like the OP a new tablet from HTC would possibly be worth considering.
We'll find out on 19th of September
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
We'll find out on 19th of September
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I have a feeling the 7" Flyer 2 announcement will come at a later date (like next year)... We may hear something about their rumored 10.1", though...
I chose the red pill... Now I'm in the mAtrix and I know Kung Fu... in HD!
http://android-gz.com
IP IHI II IL said:
I have a feeling the 7" Flyer 2 announcement will come at a later date (like next year)... We may hear something about their rumored 10.1", though...
I chose the red pill... Now I'm in the mAtrix and I know Kung Fu... in HD!
http://android-gz.com
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If one of the new HTC products is a 7" tablet - I'm in. Nexus 7 ATM has WAY too many downsides compared to Flyer, such as lack of 3G, no SD-card, no rear camera (as stupid as it sounds), no pen, and no Sense UI thanks to which I can use HTC Notes app for my studies when I type the lectures on it. No Android app (besides Evernote itself) can provide such functionality. And, as strange as it would sound, pure Jelly Bean UI just doesn't get me.. as well as the race for the latest technologies (I mean Android 4.1.1).
So, if there is to be a Flyer 2 (or, as HTC usually calls next-gen models, Flyer S or smth like that) - then I could just start saving money up right now.
If HTC is only going to target 10" segment - then I'd be very sad about it, because only Google and Samsung are interested in the 7" tablets
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
If one of the new HTC products is a 7" tablet - I'm in. Nexus 7 ATM has WAY too many downsides compared to Flyer, such as lack of 3G, no SD-card, no rear camera (as stupid as it sounds), no pen, and no Sense UI thanks to which I can use HTC Notes app for my studies when I type the lectures on it. No Android app (besides Evernote itself) can provide such functionality. And, as strange as it would sound, pure Jelly Bean UI just doesn't get me.. as well as the race for the latest technologies (I mean Android 4.1.1).
So, if there is to be a Flyer 2 (or, as HTC usually calls next-gen models, Flyer S or smth like that) - then I could just start saving money up right now.
If HTC is only going to target 10" segment - then I'd be very sad about it, because only Google and Samsung are interested in the 7" tablets
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^^Couldn't agree more with alluh that^^
I chose the red pill... Now I'm in the mAtrix and I know Kung Fu... in HD!
http://android-gz.com
IP IHI II IL said:
^^Couldn't agree more with alluh that^^
I chose the red pill... Now I'm in the mAtrix and I know Kung Fu... in HD!
http://android-gz.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know I'm not alone in that opinion
If they'd release it with Scribe and Sense for tablets, it would be great for us as well. Should it get momentum, we could maybe receive an update a-la Galaxy Note 1 users. They just got an update to make the Note 1 UI look more like the Note 2.
I for one have learned the lesson and will never buy a non nexus branded device again. I think that manufacturers need to rethink their strategies and make sure that the devices they offer are easy to upgrade.
If they find no profit in upgrading their existing devices to the latest version of android they should offer an offline image to be downloaded (from e.g htc-dev.com) for a smaller fee. If ICS or JB was available for purchase from HTC I would seriously consider buying it.
The smartphone market is still relarively young but I don´t think it will take long before the market settles and becomes more like pc´s. People don´t want to buy a $500 device that is outdated, software wise, in less than a year.
Nexus is the way to go and I´m sure that Google will prove it soon enough.
HTC's sales are down again, -4% month to month. They are hurting and clearly have not yet learned the lessons.
1. Dump Sense or completely revamp it so that it doesn't hide Android innovation in ICS and JB.
2. Streamline your GUI so that it does NOT hamper your ability to provide Android updates on time and for phones your customers actually own.
3. Remember most customers are stuck with a phone / tablet for 1.5 to 2 years ,not just 4 months.
4. Stop spending millions on PR gimmicks ($300 million on beats audio and you don;t even get a headset with a new phone) and spend a little on updating your current customers.
5. Provide innovation and stop being cheap and screwing your customers and maybe, just maybe they will come back.
I"m betting HTC learned nothing and will price the next tablet with stylus in the range of the Samsung 10.1 Note. ($499) , not the N7 ($199). Let's see.
Killerskincanoe posted this in the "Flyer 2 pics" thread. I thought I'd share here as well... Hopefully they're listening!
http://m.facebook.com/questions/253251231444306/
I chose the red pill... Now I'm in the mAtrix and I know Kung Fu... in HD!
http://android-gz.com
DigitalMD said:
1. Dump Sense or completely revamp it so that it doesn't hide Android innovation in ICS and JB.
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What ICS innovations are hidden by Sense in say, the One X?
redpoint73 said:
What ICS innovations are hidden by Sense in say, the One X?
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Well for starters HTC seems to think every phone should look like Gingerbread even if its running Jellybean. They haven;t made a major change to Sense in 2 years. The messaging app is not as good as stock ICS , the HTC browser is much worse, slow and crashes occasionally and when Google updates the Chrome browser in month or so, what will HTC do? Nothing as usual. As Android updates components, HTC will again fall behind because they are stuck with Sense components that have replaced the stock versions.
DigitalMD said:
Well for starters HTC seems to think every phone should look like Gingerbread even if its running Jellybean. They haven;t made a major change to Sense in 2 years. The messaging app is not as good as stock ICS , the HTC browser is much worse, slow and crashes occasionally and when Google updates the Chrome browser in month or so, what will HTC do? Nothing as usual. As Android updates components, HTC will again fall behind because they are stuck with Sense components that have replaced the stock versions.
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You compltely dodged the question. It doesnt look like gingerbread, thats how sense is suppose to look. Messaging,browser, is completely irrelevant. Google chrome is installable from ics/jellybean.
I recommend a class of philosophy because all your points are invalid. Lol wow.
I think ics/jellybean on HTC devices strips everything appearance wise that was appealing about ics/jellybean. Sense is very stail. Personally I feel the new HTC devices feel behind the counterparts in the market. Just a personal opinion though
Flyer
j510 said:
You compltely dodged the question. It doesnt look like gingerbread, thats how sense is suppose to look. Messaging,browser, is completely irrelevant. Google chrome is installable from ics/jellybean.
I recommend a class of philosophy because all your points are invalid. Lol wow.
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Click to collapse
They are completely relevant. You could say google innovated a better UI in ICS, and HTC is holding the messaging and browser apps back. I recommend a class of manners, because all of your points are rude. Lol wow.
AidenM said:
They are completely relevant. You could say google innovated a better UI in ICS, and HTC is holding the messaging and browser apps back. I recommend a class of manners, because all of your points are rude. Lol wow.
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Click to collapse
Agree with this. Having recently ditched my flyer for a Nexus 7 and ditched sense on my HOX for cyanogenmod I have to say that the ICS/JB interface is so much fresher than sense, simpler and probably more intuitive. Sense kind of misses the point of android for me by sticking in a load of apps that few people will want or use (sure the weather app is pretty but how about letting me chose if I want it or not?). If it's sense thats responsible for HTC's naff update policy then it should be ditched, or stripped back even further. Frankly the only things I liked about it were the flip clock which is easily replaced, and HTCs contacts app which always handled integration with other apps so well. HTC should look at customer service, build quality and style if they want to differentiate themselves from other manufacturers rather than relying on sense. The HOX for example is (in my opinion, and those of many reviewers) the best looking phone on the market. That differentiates it enough for me, and with "stock" JB on there it flies and feels like a very current device.
DigitalMD said:
Well for starters HTC seems to think every phone should look like Gingerbread even if its running Jellybean. They haven;t made a major change to Sense in 2 years. The messaging app is not as good as stock ICS, the HTC browser is much worse, slow and crashes occasionally
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you spent much time on Sense 4 or the One X? To each his own, of course. But I find the opinion that Sense hasn't changed in 2 years, impossible to believe. Sense 4 behaves nothing like the previous version of Sense, much less versions from 2 years ago. And while some of the core aesthetics have been maintained (HTC wants Sense to look a certain way, obviously) many things are overhauled and in significant ways. Much more so than AOSP JB and ICS, in my opinion.
I've never had a single browser crash that I can recall (although the browser is a bit slow), having owned the One X since release in May. And I think the AOSP messaging app is ugly as hell compared to the HTC client (completely subjective, of course). This is coming from someone that has spent a good amount of time on AOSP ROMs on past HTC devices, as well as almost always used 3rd party SMS apps and launchers while on Sense ROMs in order to dodge the HTC versions. But on the One X, for the first time on an HTC device, Sense has really come around and provided a completely fluid, nice looking, and very usable interface. Whether its "better" than AOSP or not is completely subjective. But to say it hasn't changed in 2 years is nuts to me.
You guys are probably already aware, but speaking of the "race to the bottom" on Android tablet pricing: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/06/amazon-kindle-fire-2012/
With Amazon and Google continually "lowering the bar" on price, its less and less likely that HTC will be able to take the high road and stay competitive. They might not be able to match prices like $159 and offer the quality of hardware they are known for. But they might have to try to stake some territory in the "middle ground" as the number of people willing to spend $500 on a tablet that is not an iPad grows slimmer and slimmer.
Being totally honest.. the only thing I hope from a Flyer 2 is a stable JB rom for my regular Flyer.
My flyer makes me happy in a lot of ways.. the one "depressing" thing about my flyer is the god awful honeycomb task manager.
I don't need the absolute latest and greatest hardware when my flyer can do everything I want it to do barring, google chrome and having a decent task manager.

jellybean rumor

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/12/11/htc-android-4-1-jelly-bean-update-list-leaks/
fingers crossed.
One can only hope
If it's coming from football then I'll believe that HTC is going to be updating SOME devices. The Inc 2 was supposed to have official ics in August, but they're still on gb. Granted, going from ics to jb is probably easier than gb to ics, but I won't believe it till I see it. The high end phones are most likely to be updated first (one x, xL etc) while ours will probably be here 2q-3q 2013. Just speaking from experience all my droids have been HTC it's sad but it's way the things work. it's cheaper for oem's to push out new devices rather than update older versions
we will be getting JellyBean
We will... The question is when. Most likely, our awesome devs will beat HTC to it.
Does Project Butter require "optimized" hardware to give any benefit or will it improve latency on any device?

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