Android 4.4.3 KitKat Update Release Pushes Forward

Google’s Android 4.4.4 KitKat update roll out isn’t the only roll out pushing ahead as the company’s other Android 4.4 KitKat update, Android 4.4.3 KitKat, continues to push forward more than a month after its release and just a few weeks after it was replaced by the company’s brand new Android 4.4.4 KitKat upgrade.

Last month, Google released two brand new Android 4.4 KitKat updates. The first, Android 4.4.3 KitKat, was a major bug fix update aimed at alleviating Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems. The update also delivered changes to the dialer and to the People app. The changes were cosmetic and did not overhaul either app.

The Android 4.4.3 KitKat pushed on until Google started rolling out Android 4.4.4 KitKat, a new Android 4.4 KitKat update with a patch on board for an OpenSSL vulnerability. The update pushed out to Nexus users almost immediately. And while the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update has overtaken Android 4.4.3 KitKat, one company decided to bake Android 4.4.4 KitKat’s patch into Android 4.4.3 KitKat.

Earlier this month, HTC and Sprint rolled out the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update to the HTC One M8. Sprint’s device was the first to receive the major upgrade, an upgrade that delivered Wi-Fi calling in addition to numerous bug fixes. Since then, we’ve also seen the update push for the the company’s HTC One M7 Developer Edition.

Today, those updates have been joined by another HTC One M8 Android 4.4.3 KitKat update, this one for the HTC One M8 Developer Edition. We had heard that the update would roll out sometime late in the week and right on cue, HTC has begun pushing this update to its user base. From what we’re hearing, the update is well over 500MB in size and delivers bug fixes to its users.

HTC’s Android updates typically roll out in waves, not all at once, which means that the update may not become available to all users today. Right now, it’s available in the United States though we expect it to land for more users in the coming days as HTC works to get every single one of its HTC One M8 models upgraded to the latest firmware.

Rumors suggest that the HTC One M8, the international version, shouldn’t be too far behind the Developer Edition and could get its Android 4.4.3 KitKat update in the very near future. A specific date remains unclear. As for the United States, HTC still owes AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile users an upgrade to Android 4.4.3.

The upgrade process is likely taking place behind the scenes and given that the Sprint update is out, we imagine that these updates are likely stuck in and around the certification process that these updates must pass before they’re released to the public. HTC hasn’t confirmed one way or the other but these carrier certifications are often the hold up for U.S. bound Android updates.

HTC is, as of right now, the only manufacturer that’s sticking with Android 4.4.3 KitKat. Other companies like Motorola and Sony have pushed on to Android 4.4.4 KitKat though their updates are similar to HTC’s in that they feature both the security patch and the major bug fixes for Android 4.4.2 KitKat issues. The OnePlus One, a new Android smartphone, also received its upgrade to Android 4.4.4 KitKat today.

LG and Samsung, makers of several popular Android smartphones, still haven’t announced any plans for Android 4.4.3 KitKat or Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The companies typically remain mum ahead of incremental software releases so the inactivity comes as no surprise. Both the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4 LTE-A were rumored to be getting Android 4.4.3 KitKat sometime in the future but Samsung still hasn’t confirmed either way.

Android 4.4.3 KitKat and Android 4.4.4 KitKat are both expected to be replaced by Google’s brand new Android L update later this year. Android L, like Android 4.4.3 KitKat and Android 4.4.4 KitKat for LG and Samsung users, is still without a release date.