HTC One A9 Unlocked Promises 15-Day "Nexus" Upgrade Cycle
Today HTC has promised that their newest device, the HTC One A9, will have updates within 15 days of Google's own Nexus devices. HTC's exact wording – via tweet, was as follows: "The One A9 unlocked edition will provide every software update within 15 days of Google's first push to Nexus." We must hypothesize that this means that HTC has successfully detached their own software from the base build of Android enough that they're able to upgrade the innards without having to mess with their own code abundantly – that's what'd slow them (or any other manufacturer) down otherwise.
When a new version of Android is revealed, the first thing many Android-loving people do is check to see whether their device of choice is set to receive said upgrade. Google announces the details of their newest-version OS first, then manufacturers make announcements on whether or not they'll be able to update the devices they have out on the market already.
SEE: HTC One A9 hands-on: Android most controversial
Some manufacturers release devices not long after an OS is revealed – like in today's case, where Android Marshmallow is only just hitting the public as of this Autumn and HTC is revealing their HTC One A9, a device that'll come with Marshmallow right out of the box.
Google's Nexus smartphone and tablet lineup receive updates very quickly after they're announced by Google. Google keeps their software free from 3rd-party apps and launchers to make this upgrade cycle as fast as possible. When a manufacturer like HTC releases a device, they have their own software onboard, working side-by-side with Android.
As you'll see in our rundown of specs for the HTC One M9, this device works with what's called HTC Sense. This is HTC's own interpretation of Android. Generally HTC would need to take Google's software and tweak it enough to fit their own software each time Google releases a new update to the base code of Android.
If HTC is promising updates to their "unlocked edition" A9 (read: non-carrier model), they must have found a way to detach their own HTC Sense software from Android well enough that they're able to upgrade one without needing to fiddle with the other. That's good news for HTC device owners of the future!