Android 7.0 Nougat starts rolling out on the unlocked version of the HTC 10 flagship smartphone which was released this year. (Photo : YouTube/HTC)
The HTC 10 unlocked version has been getting Android 7.0 Nougat since last week, but attention is already turning to the company's rumored flagship offering for next year the HTC 11.
With Chinese smartphone makers capturing more customers, HTC has been finding the going tough. However, the smartphone manufacture has a well received smartphone this year in the form of the HTC 10.
Now, with the year coming to a close, the HTC 10 is one of the devices getting a taste of Android Nougat. This information was made public in a Tweet on the official Twitter account of HTC USA. It stated that the testing process was complete and that unlocked device would be getting Nougat starting on Nov. 25, Friday.
The Unlocked #HTC10 is getting Android Nougat - We've just passed TA testing, so you can expect a rollout to begin on Friday. pic.twitter.com/tmEnc0lyQq
— HTC USA (@HTCUSA) November 24, 2016
This indicates that unlocked devices are being prioritized as they are easier to put through the testing process compared to those that are sold by carriers. The HTC 10 devices that are being provided by carriers are likely to get Android 7.0 Nougat sometime in the beginning of 2017 but the company has not indicated a specific date.
The delayed update of Android Nougat on devices provided by carriers is mainly due to the fact that they put the OS through a lot more testing than what is done for a version rolling out to unlocked devices. Another factor that has helped HTC push out Android Nougat faster is that the HTC 10 arrived with less bloatware installed.
Other Android smartphone manufacturers are lagging behind HTC when it comes to the roll out of Nougat to their devices. This has led to HTC getting a lot attention and kudos for the simplified Android on the HTC 10 and anticipation is building around the arrival of next year's flagship the HTC 11.
There are also indications that the HTC 11 will have eye-catching features including a display measuring 5.5-inches and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 chipset, Android Headlines reported. In terms of RAM, there are rumors that the device will have 6 GB onboard.
In addition to the device having cutting edge features and hardware, the HTC 11 is expected to release sooner than other flagship smartphones. This could indicate that the smartphone will arrive before the Galaxy S8 which is likely to be released in February 2017 by Samsung. There is also speculation that if the flagship HTC 11 releases earlier next year HTC will try to capture a bigger portion of the market in order to rejuvenate it smartphone business.
Video introducing the HTC 10 when it launched this year.
