HTC pledges two years of updates for flagship smartphones

HTC has pledged to provide software updates for its flagship smartphones for two years after launch, but only those that are available in the US - updates for international handsets don't carry the same guarantee.

HTC incurred the wrath of its customers earlier this year when it stated it would no longer provide updates for the HTC One X, HTC One X+and HTC One S handsets less than two years after they hit the market. As a result, the devices are stuck on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, two major releases away from the current Android 4.4.2 KitKat release available from Google.

During an AMA question and answer session on Reddit, the company's North American arm attempted to allay concerns regarding the longevity of its flagship products with the guarantee that software updates to each major Android release will be available for at least two years after launch on all flagship handsets. A later clarification, however, suggested that the promise comes with a major caveat: it applies only to flagship devices designed for and sold in the US, with international releases getting no such guarantee.

In most cases, that should make little difference to the support lifespan: HTC's UK and US releases are typically all-but identical, meaning if a software update is created for a US handset it should be available for its UK equivalent too. In some cases, that won't be the case: international models occasionally launch with a different processor or modem, or even appear as exclusive models that never reach North American shops - in which case the two-year update guarantee is null and void.

HTC's current flagship, the HTC One, launched late last year - meaning it has most of its two-year project update schedule in-tact.