(Not so) gr8: AT&T HTCOne M8 & M9 suffer Marshmallow roll-out delay

When Android Marshmallow was formally released last October, it brought with it numerous changes to the way Google’s mobile OS functions. Power management on standby was improved with Doze, and even the way in which Apps can access user’s personal information and device components was modified with granular permissions. These days the industry is all about Android N, the yet-to-be-named OS preview build of the next major update.

Despite this, there are still devices which are running on Android Lollipop. One such example is AT&T’s variants of the HTC One M8 and HTC One M9. While customers on the other major competing networks in the USA have already received their Marshmallow update, it now seems that Ma Bell users will need to wait even longer:

As seen above, HTC’s Vice President of Product Management, Mo Versi, has taken to Twitter to Tweet about some trouble. It seems there is some kind of technical problem going on that is preventing the roll-out of Android Marshmallow. The prognosis is perhaps a bit of a tough take for those in wait, as he indicates it may be approved “within the next couple of weeks”.

This means that, assuming everything goes according to plan, which it seemingly has not less this delay would have been posted today, it will be around two weeks before everything is clear to go. It will then require more time for the OTA to hit customer’s devices, assuming there there are no bugs or other problems that would impede the process and require more downtime.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the responses Mr. Versi’s post has received are not from the most pleased:

Thankfully some users were seemingly pleased with the forthcoming honesty, including this one:

“Put up or shut up” vs “open book”

The frustration that customers are feeling right now raises an interesting question of sorts: in this day and age where communication is just a fingertip away, and corporations take to Twitter with the bat of an eye, just what is the best way to approach this kind of situation? Silence is golden, as some might say.

At the same time by Mr. Versi sharing the news and letting customers know what’s going on, it can actually build trust or, at the very least, clarifies what would otherwise be an typical “more details will be announced later” canned reply from CS representatives.

What do you think?