The day after Google launched Android 4.4 ‘KitKat’, HTC made a bold statement. Within 90 days, HTC One owners would be enjoying the latest version of Android, said Jason Mackenzkie, President of HTC America. It seems that he wasn’t lying either, as the company has now confirmed the update will arrive from the end of January 2014.
In a tweet presumably intended as a reply to a fan, HTC UK confirmed on Twitter that it is currently working with networks and local carriers so that the roll-out of Android 4.4 for the HTC One can begin at the end of January next year.
The company is currently in the process of bringing Android Jelly Bean 4.3 to its critically acclaimed all-aluminium smartphone, so with the next update pegged for January it seems software updates are a priority right now. That update brings the option to disable BlinkFeed (hurrah!), lock screen widgets, a redesigned Gallery app, Google Drive and plenty of smaller tweaks and fixes.
Android 4.4, better known as ‘KitKat’, is designed with less powerful and more affordable smartphones in mind. The HTC One isn’t really applicable to that, though the update will bring about Google’s redesigned app icons, speed improvements and hopefully wireless printing, which we’ve already seen on the Nexus 5.
Jason Mackenzie made his statement on November 1st, so if we’re incredibly critical and he sticks to his word, the update should arrive before or on January 29th. We won’t complain if it arrives a few days after though.