Verizon’s HTC 10 is now getting a new update that brings some minor performance tweaks and the latest security patch to the handset, along with the usual mix of bug fixes. Although the company now has a new flagship smartphone, the squeezable HTC 11 announced in May, the HTC 10 from last year is still getting some attention and it’s being kept up to date to ensure it doesn’t have any security vulnerabilities. Verizon has now announced that it’s releasing the new HTC 10 update over-the-air (OTA), bringing the smartphone’s software version to the build number 2.41.605.20. Before proceeding to download and install the update, the carrier recommends connecting the device to a stable Wi-Fi network or a strong Verizon Wireless network so that the process goes smoothly and without interruptions. It’s also recommended to fully charge the smartphone before initializing the update.
Android is the most popular mobile operating system on the planet and it’s powering a slew of devices worldwide. Being so widely used, however, also means that it’s a target for malware and various attacks. After the so-called Stagefright Android malware sparked a massive ordeal back in 2015, infecting millions of devices worldwide, Google decided to issue monthly Android updates to ensure devices on its platform are always up to date in terms of security. Monthly security patches are designed to detect any potential vulnerability and patch it before attackers get a chance to exploit it. Google issues the patches, but it’s not responsible for distributing them to all devices. Once Google releases a new Android security patch, it’s up to device makers and carriers to distribute it and in some cases, the patches hit devices with notable delays. That’s not the case with the HTC 10 on Verizon, as the latest OTA release brings it up to speed with the latest updates, the wireless carrier claims, though it’s currently unclear whether that means the Android Security Level of June or July of 2017.
As a reminder, the HTC launched back in May 2016 featuring a 5.2-inch Quad HD display (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 graphics chip, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card. The smartphone further sports a 12-megapixel rear camera with 4K video recording capabilities, optical image stabilization (OIS), dual-tone LED flash, and a 5-megapixel front camera with OIS, autofocus, and HDR. The device launched with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box but later received an update to Android 7.0 Nougat.