The HTC One is finally receiving its much-wanted Android 4.2.2 update, bringing the smartphone's operating system on par with rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z. Still, that's not necessarily good news for all owners of the handset.
For starters, the HTC One Android 4.2.2 upgrade is currently only rolling out in Taiwan for the single-SIM variant and in China for the dual-SIM model. Certain regions get the update before others for a number of reasons, but that's not the main driving force behind why many will be left out.
It's mostly because of carriers and something known as Android fragmentation.
When Google creates a new version of Android, the search giant pushes out the stock software to its own devices like the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7. Electronics manufacturers who have their own specific models, like Samsung, HTC, Sony, or Motorola, all then have to tailor the new Android to work on their devices with their specialized interfaces like TouchWiz (Samsung) or Sense (HTC). After going to each single model and doing this, the manufacturer then begins pushing out the update. Already, one can see why it takes longer for non-Google devices to get a new Android.
Finally, there are the wireless networks. For Android smartphones that are carrier-tied, this means an even longer wait. Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, Three, Vodafone, and more all then pile on their on bloatware, adding extra weeks, or even months, before the upgrade finally reaches the user.
All in all, it's a pretty tedious process, but it should serve as a warning: if you want the latest Android, get a Google device. Otherwise, there's bound to be a wait, and for many HTC One users, it means that Android 4.2.2 will arrive, just not as soon as you'd probably hope. Of course, there are always custom aftermarket ROMS available, just be sure to know what you're doing or else the device could brick.