It was only a matter of time before we saw how quickly Google would update the Google Play editions of third-party phones, and now we have it: The HTC One Google Play edition (along with its Samsung Galaxy S4 cousin) are getting Android 4.3, the latest operating system from the Mountain View giant.
AnandTech seems have spotted it first on Friday night, as the much-anticipated Android 4.3 update began appearing in notifications on Google Play edition phones. The notifications were OTA (over the air), and hit Galaxy S4s and HTC One Google Play edition handsets simultaneously.
The Android 4.3 update for the Google Play edition HTC One is a little hefty, compared to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 update. Google Play edition HTC One owners will lose about 180 MB for their update, compared to 150 MB for the Galaxy S4. The update is marked as build JWR66V.
The update comes about a week after the Google Nexus lineup of devices started to get their updates to Android 4.3. This means that Google is not waiting too long to give Google Play editions the update after their own devices, so it really does seem like the "Nexus experience" line given the HTC One Google Play edition rings true.
Here's what the OTA update for the HTC One Google Play edition will look like, as posted by AnandTech:
Some of the nice changes in Android 4.3 for the HTC One Google Play Edition include Open GL ES 3.0 for better graphics in videos and games, restricted profiles as part of the multiple user system, and support for Bluetooth Smart Ready.
There also appear to be increased icon sizes on the widget panels, and the HTC One's IR blaster is enabled as part of the update. For more information on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition Android 4.3 update, click here.