Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update: Samsung Has The Edge As HTC And Motorola Delay

While Google charges ahead with its Android development, many smartphone manufacturers are slowly falling behind the curve due to long lags in Android updates. Both HTC and Motorola have been lax in rolling out Android Jelly Bean to a few of their key devices, and that could hurt them in the long run as the current mobile king, Samsung, continues to aggressively update. 

HTC has been saying for some time now that their flagship smartphones such as the One X would be receiving Jelly Bean anytime now. Still, as 2013 starts off, there's no sign of Android Jelly Bean for the One X here in the United States. International variants such as the One XL have started receiving Jelly Bean, but not in all regions, and the lack of Jelly Bean for one of HTC's few prominent handsets in the United States can't be good for the company. 

Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx owners received an unexpected surprise around Christmas time when Android 4.1.2 started rolling out OTA. The update, however, was almost immediately stopped, and seems to have been a premature release. Still, Motorola has promised Jelly Bean will be coming to the Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx in Q1 2013. 

As frustration mounts among HTC and Motorola users, you can bet Samsung will be looking to capitalize on the Android gap. Samsung's flagship handsets, the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2, have Jelly Bean already running, and the South Korean electronics manufacturer is looking to update popular older devices such as the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note in the coming weeks as well. 

At the current pace, it's clear that the only way to get the latest version of Android on time is to opt for a Google-branded device such as a Nexus smartphone or tablet. Samsung has done a good job of trying to keep its large lineup updated, and if smaller manufacturers such as HTC and Motorola can't keep up, consumers will increasingly mold the mobile market into a Samsung vs. Apple affair.