EVO 4G's Android 2.2 update starts trickling
We're not certain that this date is going to hold — things like this have an uncanny tendency to slip at the last possible moment …
Context & Ripple Effects
Sprint had already signaled that the EVO 4G would receive Android 2.2 while the Samsung Moment and HTC Hero were excluded from that plan. The rollout turns that announced EVO 4G upgrade path into a live device-support divide rather than a promise.
Earlier Android update coverage also showed that version upgrades were becoming a key part of handset ownership, from HTC's Android 2.0 work to uncertainty around the T-Mobile G1's next release.
First-order effects
- EVO 4G owners begin receiving Android 2.2, while Sprint customers using the Moment and Hero remain outside the stated update plan.
Second-order effects
- Sprint's support policy differentiates its Android lineup by software as well as hardware, giving prospective buyers another reason to favor devices with explicit upgrade commitments.
Third-order effects
- Android handset competition is increasingly likely to include the duration and reliability of carrier-approved software support, not only launch specifications.
The trend: Android's rapid release cycle is making carrier and manufacturer update commitments a meaningful source of differentiation among otherwise competing handsets.