Last Updated on November 8, 2015 by Mathew Diekhake
Australia is frequently a tad behind the times and the same can be maintained for Smartphones that are becoming older. It may come as a wonderment that even last years HTC One hasn’t received Android KitKat yet from any of the major Australian mobile phone carriers. However, with the launch of the 2014 “All New One” with the codename of M8 on March 25th, they’ll want to have the newest flagship device showcased with the chocolate firmware. In many ways, it is surprising to have it this early, because even though the M8 is unveiled next week in March, that doesn’t mean it will become available until a later date. HTC additionally hasn’t disclosed to us when that eventual date will be either.
If recorded history shows us anything it is that HTC and Samsung combined don’t have a very good track record of making phones available after the big event where they were launched. In some cases, it has taken months until they become available.
Telstra is the largest name here, and they have started to get the update first. Those who are subscribed to Optus and Vodafone will start to see the roll out very soon, with the chance some have received it already. To investigate if the update is waiting for all of you go to Settings > About Phone > System updates and check if the new build has arrived. If you are not accustomed with the process of how OTA updates work, they roll out incrementally to everybody. In other words, there is no telling when it will arrive for you. Your friends might get it before you, or after you. There’s no order or sequence. However, it will eventually roll out to everybody who owns the handset over the next few weeks starting today.
Android 4.4 KitKat features:
Here we have made a list of everything you can expect to find once you have updated triumphantly to the new firmware.
From the top of the lock screen, before you unlock your pass code, is a little white arrow. The arrow indicates that you can swipe by using a hand gesture to the right, and you’ll see a new widget screen here. The new inclusion is a brand new inclusion that lets you pick and choose what you want to have on the lock screen. It lets you add anything from Google Now to Google +.
Also covered in this update, and arguably the main feature is Sense 5.5. Sense 5.5 is a new inclusion by HTC that changes the way the stock operating system of the Android works by giving users the chance to be a lot more connected with widgets and applications of their choice. What’s even better is how efficient it has been made with the new Blinkfeed option that lets users swipe over and include subscriptions from RSS feeds and social media like Google+ and more. Now turning Blinkfeed on and off is now easier. Change it in settings by holding the screen and pressing the option at the top of the screen.
As usual, the Android developers put a significant emphasis on making each new firmware update smoother, faster and with more bug fixes and revisions than the last, and it shows once again in this KitKat build. Even if you are using the later stages of Jelly Bean now like Android 4.2.2, you will still pick up on a smoother OS.
Australia is a bit behind the times, and there’s nothing we can do about that. We have already seen the Sense 6 leaked interface and also Europe is seeing the final build stages of Kitkat now. The good news is that people living in Australia can learn from what is taking place, notice how it is evolving and also watch and admire what is yet to come!