14 DAY TRIAL // On Wednesday, AT&T and HTC started to push out a new software update for the owners of HTC One M8 devices on the network of this wireless carrier, providing users with a nice set of enhancements.
First of all, we should note that the new firmware version of the handset, available as version 1.58.502.1, will provide users with the Extreme Power Saving Mode that other phone models have been enjoying it for several weeks now.
For those out of the loop, we should note that HTC One M8 was released in the United States without this feature inside, mainly due to the lack of certification from the FCC.
However, the feature has received the needed approvals not long ago, and HTC has started to make it available for One M8 devices in the country.
The new software build 1.58.502.1 that is rolling out today will enable it on HTC One M8 smartphones on the network of AT&T as well.
At the same time, as a recent article on Phandroid notes, the new update is meant to resolve an issue that has been preventing users from redeeming a 50GB of free Google Drive storage offer that is available for them.
“We are happy to inform you that HTC and AT&T have approved an update for the HTC One (M8) that resolves the issues with the Google Drive cloud storage offer,” Ed Kuhner, vice president customer experience, HTC, notes on the company’s website.
Following the update, users should head over to Settings > About > Software information to check whether their phones are indeed running under the new firmware version.
If the build number listed there is 1.58.502.1, they can redeem the aforementioned free storage, though they will also need to reset the Google Drive application before that.
To do this, simply head over to Settings, click on Apps, and go to the All tab (you will be able to find it when scrolling left). Once there, scroll to Google Drive, click on it, and hit the Clear data button.
As soon as this has been done, you will simply need to launch the Google Drive app and sign in. The 50GB of free storage should immediately appear there.
HTC hasn’t provided specific info on what caused the issue in the first place, but the company has issued an apology for this. The good news is that the problem has been resolved, and that users can now enjoy more features on their smartphones.