HTC One Update Release Date: Why Android 4.2.2 Will Take Longer for Most Americans

HTC Ones in Europe and Asia are currently receiving the highly anticipated Android 4.2.2 update, and while that's good news for most Android phone users, it doesn't mean much for Americans.

As of now, most major markets in Asia and Europe are reporting that Android 4.2.2 with a new version of the Sense UI is rolling out over the air, marking a major step for HTC against its rival Samsung, whose flagship Galaxy S4 has had Android 4.2.2 on it for some time. Sadly, thanks to a process known as Android fragmentation, the update may take a lot longer to reach the States.

The reason lies in the way that new Android versions are disseminated. Google first develops a new Android, and that stock version is known as AOSP (Android Open Source Project). Google then pushes it out to its Nexus devices (which run AOSP and always receive Android updates first) and sends out the firmware to electronics manufacturers like HTC, Sony, Samsung, and LG. These manufacturers then have to tailor the Android operating system from Google to each of their specific devices and layer on respective interfaces (in HTC's case, this is the Sense UI). Once that's done, unlocked variants around the world will receive the update, and that's where Americans lose.

Most Americans own smartphones that are tied down to a carrier. What this means is that there's another step in the development process. Carriers like AT&T and Verizon then further tweak the new Android to run on their network, and fill it with (mostly useless) bloatware designed to promote their own apps. Finally, after all this is done, the update is pushed out to the public, usually over the air.

In the past, U.S. carriers have been notoriously slow in completing this process compared to international counterparts, with certain ones like Verizon coming off as just plain lazy.

In other words, if history is correct, HTC One users in the United States tied to a carrier and not running AOSP still have to wait. How long, however, is up in the air, as no carrier that offers the HTC One has released any details concerning Android 4.2.2 for the handset.