at&t M8 Lollipop OTA Update today?

[dyphx]

To check for updates immediately go to Settings, select Apps, then scroll to the "All" tab. Search for "htcdm", and press clear data.

 

[ezekiel198]

It's out. For me anyway. East Coast.

 

[booch221]

To check for updates immediately go to Settings, select Apps, then scroll to the "All" tab. Search for "htcdm", and press clear data.

THANKS!

 

[dty06]

As much as I love Android, you have to admit Apple does updates way better. Android is an endless update cycle, you are always behind. No sooner than you get your update (assuming you do) Google releases another one.

It's the carriers who delay the updates for Android. Apple handles their updates themselves, but the actual carrier has to push the updates for Android, and that means that they can add their own bloat to it. So you get all the crapware on the phone in addition to the actual software update, and very often the carrier screws up their update process due to either the bloat they've added or some change they've made. HTC released the Lollipop software for the M8 months ago. If you don't have it yet, blame your carrier, not HTC or Google. Google Play Edition M8s have been on Lollipop since right after Lollipop came out.

 

[booch221]

I highly doubt they care about the updates. It's time, manpower and wages for an update to a phone people already have. What are you going to do? Just walk away and get a new phone somewhere else? That isn't remotely cheap or practical.

AT&T ought to care about keeping their customers happy, or they could decide to go with another carrier. It's easy and relatively inexpensive to unlock an HTC phone to work on T-Mobile or Ptel. You don't even need to unlock it to use H2O or one of the other AT&T MVNO's.

I'm using H2O and I'm very happy with them.

 

[dyphx]

Oh I understand the process. And, I know it has to a lot with how Android is open vs closed like iOS, and the many different manufacturers that use Android. But, I think Google needs to exercise more control over the update process. Do the carries each have their own customized version of iOS? Do they get to add a bunch of crap no one wants? Do they have the final say if their phones get updated at all? I agree it's on AT&T, however, HTC & Google are not completely without fault.

Edit: To HTC's credit they have moved a lot of their supporting apps to the Play store. That's a good start.

 

[booch221]

My update started to download. My screen timed out. When I turned the phone back on, all I see is my desktop. How can I tell where I am in the update process?

 

[thefifthwall]

Just got it 5.01 on my gs4

 

[dyphx]

Is there a notification indicating it's downloading? It took a very long time to download this morning.

 

[booch221]

Is there a notification indicating it's downloading?

Yes. I couldn't see it at first. I turned off Bluetooth and Mobile Data and that created enough room at the top of the screen to see the download icon. I'll just be patient and wait for it to finish.

****UPDATE****
It finished installing... It fixed a problem with Instapaper tilt scrolling that developed after I updated to Android 4.4.4.
MMS is working too. I'm HAPPY so far...

 

[cwise222]

AT&T ought to care about keeping their customers happy, or they could decide to go with another carrier. It's easy and relatively inexpensive to unlock an HTC phone to work on T-Mobile or Ptel. You don't even need to unlock it to use H2O or one of the other AT&T MVNO's.

I'm using H2O and I'm very happy with them.

Most people don't care about phone updates unless they have an issue with their phone. On top of that a vast majority (likely 95%+) are on contract or Next, so moving to another provider is not all that cheap since you'll have $200 to $1,000+ in fees to contend with. Even when you move to T-Mobile and get reimbursed it can take months and sometimes the reimbursement is in the form of a gift card that can only be used on the carrier.

T-Mobile and Sprint may like to make it seem like it's easy as pie to switch your carrier, but it's not always. The big 2 also count on people being to lazy to go though the whole process of switching. As much as T-Mobile has shaken things up, Verizon and AT&T are still gaining subscribers. Maybe not at the pace they were before, but they still are gaining. As far as they're concerned what they are doing now is working and diverting resources to push updates faster isn't work the expense.

 

[dty06]

Oh I understand the process. And, I know it has to a lot with how Android is open vs closed like iOS, and the many different manufacturers that use Android. But, I think Google needs to exercise more control over the update process. Do the carries each have their own customized version of iOS? Do they get to add a bunch of crap no one wants? Do they have the final say if their phones get updated at all? I agree it's on AT&T, however, HTC & Google are not completely without fault.

Edit: To HTC's credit they have moved a lot of their supporting apps to the Play store. That's a good start.

Google can't control it since they don't make the hardware. Apple controls it all because they make the hardware as well as the OS. HTC takes the base code from Google, makes it work for their device, then delivers it to the carrier. The carriers set it up this way. HTC would love to put out its own OTA updates, but that's not how Android works unfortunately (unless you have a dev edition or unlocked phone).

 

[cwise222]

Oh I understand the process. And, I know it has to a lot with how Android is open vs closed like iOS, and the many different manufacturers that use Android. But, I think Google needs to exercise more control over the update process. Do the carries each have their own customized version of iOS? Do they get to add a bunch of crap no one wants? Do they have the final say if their phones get updated at all? I agree it's on AT&T, however, HTC & Google are not completely without fault.

Edit: To HTC's credit they have moved a lot of their supporting apps to the Play store. That's a good start.

From what I remember when I worked at Sprint, each carrier has it's own iOS version in the sense that the radios are locked to that carrier, so like you can't just walk over to Verizon with your AT&T phone and you're off to the races. It has to be unlocked and all that. Other then that iOS is not different on an AT&T phone then it is on a Sprint phone. I think you they may have some things like the basic MyAT&T app on there, but that is treated like any other application and it just loaded on their by Apple. Not 100% sure about that one, I've never tinkered with a carrier locked/branded iPhone.

I don't think the carriers can tinker with iOS like they do Android, they can just test it.

 

[booch221]

Most people don't care about phone updates unless they have an issue with their phone

But we're talking about people who DO CARE about updates.
That's what this thread is about!

I could go on and on about the stupidity of people who buy a phone on contract, but that's a topic for another thread.

 

[cwise222]

But we're talking about people who DO CARE about updates.
That's what this thread is about!

I could go on and on about the stupidity of people who buy a phone on contract, but that's a topic for another thread.

The dozen or so people in this thread don't mean anything to AT&T in the long run. If you want to talk about slow updates and why they happen, then that is a big one. Updates will only change with OEM push back on the carriers.

 

[kgbkny]

Other then that iOS is not different on an AT&T phone then it is on a Sprint phone. I think you they may have some things like the basic MyAT&T app on there, but that is treated like any other application and it just loaded on their by Apple. Not 100% sure about that one, I've never tinkered with a carrier locked/branded iPhone.

I have an iPhone 6 that I purchased through AT&T; as such, it was carrier-locked (I've since had it unlocked by submitting a request to AT&T). I can confirm that the phone is free of any type of carrier bloat, removable or not. My work phone is a Verizon iPhone 4S, which is also free of carrier bloat. With regards to branding, all iPhones are free from that as well. Apple was extremely smart when it came to retaining complete control over their device.

 

[booch221]

The dozen or so people in this thread don't mean anything to AT&T in the long run

I think the universe of people who care about updates, is greater than the dozen or so here.
If customers who care about updates, truly don't mean anything to AT&T, I'm sure glad I switched to a MVNO.

 

[booch221]

With Lollipop, facial recognition to unlock the screen, is no longer an option.

****UPDATE***

I got it back. It has moved.

It’s now a part of Smart Unlock and Face unlock itself is called Trusted Face. Wee bit confusing.

Enable a lock screen (pin/pattern/password) under Settings > Security > Lock screen
(If Lock Screen is NOT there, first go to Settings > Security Then you go down to Trust Agents that you find right under Advanced. Inside there you will find Smart Lock, simply enable that. And step back into Security where you now will have Smart Lock.)

Follow the set up guide for Trusted Face under Settings > Security > Smart lock. It can be a little fiddly to get it right, just try until it’s done.

I would post the link to this, but I'm not allowed to post links.
It's at droider.eu HOW TO USE FACE UNLOCK ON HTC ONE M8 WITH LOLLIPOP

 

[dyphx]

With the update, facial recognition to unlock the screen, is no longer an option.

Go to Security / Trust agents, enable "Smart Lock (Google)"
then you'll have a "Smart Lock" option on the security screen. Press that and you can enable "Trusted face."

 

[W1zz]

I guess people in Canada are still out for a wait... nothing new there