KitKat and Sense 5.5 rolling out to unlocked and dev. edition HTC One phones in the US

Yet another thing to be thankful for

HTC USA's Twitter account just gave word that unlocked and developer edition HTC One phones have a new update pushing out today. This OTA will bring KitKat and Sense 5.5 to the One, and sounds like a pretty good way to cap off a day of thanks.

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We've seen a few of the changes with Sense 5.5 for the M7, but seeing KitKat in action on a Sense phone will be a first. Keep an eye out if you've a dev or unlocked model (or made your AT&T version into one), and be sure to share what you find when it happens.

HTC One forums

Source: @HTCUSA

Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.

90 Comments
  • Rock it. I have been sporting sense 5.5 on jellybean and loving it. Posted via Android Central App
  • Credit where it's due to HTC. Keep up the good work and maybe make me a HTC One with an unlock button on the side. Thanks Posted via Android Central App
  • Thanks, appreciate the kind words!
  • Ya & a HTC One Max 2 with on screen buttons so it can shorten up Or atleast release a Google play Edition of the HTC One Max with Android 4.4 KitKat Posted from My GNote 2 via AC App
  • Sweet. Should be coming to UK unlocked as well then. Posted via Android Central App
  • :D
  • HTC is apparently learning from its past mistakes! Rolling out the update even before Samsung. Good job Posted via Android Central App
  • Exactly. Get it out before Samsung Posted via Android Central App
  • Why like what is it a race or something Posted via Android Central App
  • It is. Editor in chief of Futureproff.com
  • Wow that's great Posted via my Galaxy S4 Google Edition
  • I am dually impressed. Good job HTC and Moto. Can't wait to get it on my Note 3. Posted via T-Mo N3
  • Oh boy that will be a long wait before Samsung updates their bloated stuff and then on top of that the useless carriers have to do their certification. Not going to happen before March next year at least. Posted via Android Central App
  • Wrong, January at the latest. You can keep saying your bs but that won't make it true ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • Official word from Samsung to support that? Otherwise what you're saying is as wrong as what the other poster is. Posted from my pure Google Nexus 4 using the AC app.
  • Who cares about kitkat im running jellybean 4.3 and its serving me well on my Note 3 bloat and all :-) Posted via Android Central App
  • This ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • Rumor but just as good as the last one. Kit kat is minor so it will not take long ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • This is true and Samsung will no doupt want kitkat running on the Note 3 very soon. However until then jellybean 4.3 will serve all Note 3 owners well and we will be patiant. As it stands the way it is the Note 3 is one hell of a device :-) Posted via Android Central App
  • Especially since they are still on 4.2.?, not that 4.3 was that big a jump either
  • Verizon is still on 4.2.x ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • ...and HTC has been so trustworthy in the past with what they say. The carrier branded One will get Kit Kat the same time the Note 3 and S4 get it...
  • Yup....just talk to the note 2 and s3 who are barely getting 4.3... Samsung will let you wait in limbo like they always do... Nexus 5...enough said
  • Why does it matter when it comes to the carrier versions of these phones. With the skins you won't be able to tell the difference and there isn't anything major in Kit Kat. Posted via Android Central App
  • Unlike HTC , Samsung doesn't abandon year old phones. They got 4.3 and if the leak is accurate they will get 4.4. How is the One X doing? ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • You sure about that? How many of samsung's thousands of phones are running 4.3? The s4 and the note 3 will not be running 4.4 until after the s5 is released. They haven't even mentioned when they are pushing out 4.4 to any of their devices... Such a good company... Nexus 5...enough said
  • Htc stepping up their game, great job Htc. Posted via Android Central App
  • Oi Jerry, could you please post a review on noticeable changes when you're done testing? Sent via the Android 5.0 MilkShake.
  • Gullibly I hope that this update fixes the purple tint camera issue.
  • Pretty sure its hardware related
  • Nah, the hardware itself is just not good enough. Sent via the Android 5.0 MilkShake.
  • Wife's Htc one takes great pictures hardware is fine. Posted via Android Central App
  • It's been confirmed by HTC and numerous other outlets that it is a software glitch.
  • It's hard to believe it's a software issue when it happens on every single ROM I try.
    Stock Sense, CM, GPe, custom Sense.
    I get the purple tint no matter what. Posted via Android Central App
  • itz a hardware issue. I've never had the purple tint issue on my HTC One and I've had my phone since It came out in April. Posted via HTC One on Android Central App
  • Not all software glitches affect everyone who uses a piece of software. And sending the phone to HTC for hardware repairs doesn't fix the problem either. There are arguments for it being either, but HTC knows their phone better than any of us so I'm going to side with them on this one. I've had this problem for 4 months now and HTC still hasn't sent out a camera fix despite their stance on this being a software problem. This is getting a bit ridiculous, and since I have the developer edition I can't exchange the phone anywhere because HTC apparently doesn't do full replacements.
  • Wouldn't most of the Roms contain the same camera software? Posted via Android Central App
  • seems like a software issue cause I never had any issues until I updated to 4.2 ..
  • It's hardware related for sure. What happens is when the camera sensor get overheated it creates that purple low light color. I have flashed firmware, rom and just about everything else to get rid of it, with no luck. I had to get a replacement. I no longer keep my phone under my rear view mirror in it's car dock. I know that's why mine went kaboom! :)
  • nice work HTC !!
  • I'm assuming this disables Flash in the stock browser :'( Posted via Android Central App
  • That's been disabled and unsupported since 4.1 Posted via Android Central App
  • Uh, no it hasn't. Flash works on the One with the HTC browser. I use it everyday Posted via Android Central App
  • Just because it works doesn't mean it's officially supported by Android, Android did indeed drop support for it and Adobe has stopped updating the Android version (I'm pretty sure).
  • I know all of that. However, the fact remains the Flash IS functional on the HTC One (and works well) as of now and I'm assuming will not be once it gets 4.4. Drokssilva's comment was false because Flash is not currently disabled (4.3), it's just unsupported which are two different things. Posted via Android Central App
  • I use Flash extensively on the One with the standard browser, and on other Android devices with Firefox Beta. I want the full web, and whether we love it, or hate, that requires Flash support. I will not upgrade my One to 4.4 because 4.4 does disable Flash on all browsers. I will be reverting my Nexus 7 2013 from Kit Kat, to 4.3 to again have Flash support with Firefox Beta.
  • It's gone :( Posted via Android Central App
  • Sweet, time to start mashing the update button!
  • Nothing here :( Posted via Android Central App
  • And we await for it to ported on xda Posted via Android Central App
  • Exactly. The wait begins !! Posted via Android Central App
  • Mike is already cooking a KitKat ROM for arhd sense Posted via Android Central App
  • Are they killing flash? Posted via Android Central App
  • They have been for a long while ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • Android hasn't officially supported flash for a while.
  • If the 4.4 cycle is as fast as the 4.3 cycle we should hopefully see this on US carrier devices Soon. (Sprint had 4.3 a week after the dev edition got it iirc)
  • Hoping Sprint gets the 4.4 update first among US Carriers Posted via Android Central App
  • Yes! The wait for a custom ROM begins! Posted via Android Central App
  • even though my unlocked htc is yet to receive this update, i LOVE you HTC!
  • Jerry, any word when the HTC One on the other carriers will receive their updates?
  • htc previously said sometime end of january if not mistaken.
  • HTC publicly commented that it would be out 90 days from kit kat release.
  • Can't wait for it to be pushed to my phone. Posted via Android Central App
  • does anyone here already got the update for unlocked version ? Cuz i dont Posted via Android Central App
  • Mine came this morning.
  • Where is Richard yarrell now?! Posted via Android Central App
  • No...you're not supposed to feed the trolls, let alone leave the food out before they show up Posted via Android Central App
  • Wait?!?!?!?! I just did a bit of looking, the One is still on 4.2.? and is not slated to get even 4.3 until December, long after the Samsung roll out. We are slobbering on HTC for updating a developer edition? Developer Editions, GPe Editions, and Nexus devices SHOULD be updated by now. This is nothing extraordinary. What the X has done kinda is. Lets not go all "Mr. Wolfe" on HTC or put Samsung down until the actual updates drop.
  • Wtf are you talking about, the one was updated to 4.3 a while ago. I'm running 4.3 now officially on T-Mobile and I'm fairly certain they were the last carrier to roll it out. I think you have your versions mixed up. Kit Kat is 4.4.
  • Troll, go away or hook us up with a check from Samsung! Posted via Android Central App
  • What is the BIG hype about kitkat and the deal with oooooo im getting it before you, is it a status thing? Its a peice of software get a grip folks. Jellybean 4.3 runs well, has all the features i and many need and want, yes kitkat is designed to run on 512mb of ram so on devices like the Note 3, G2, Htc ect it will then offer more free Ram for your needs. However the higher speced Note 3 runs so smoooth with jelly bean 4 3 it really isnt an issue or a big deal. Samsung will release 4.4 kitkat and well before march as was mentioned by one or two. Im not particulary fussed it will happen and no doupt i will enjoy when it arrives but until then im more than content with good ol jellybean. Oh and the heading states that its being released for dev editions and unlocked so that obviously excludes the many still on a contract i presume? Its a piece of software folks no need for the bitching wow. Will be pulling hair like big jessies next lol Posted via Android Central App
  • +1
  • If that is what helps you sleep at night with your bloated/cheapest plastic on earth phone....
  • And that is the best you little brain could come up with repeating the same old bs haha gave me a laugh atleast. Posted via Android Central App
  • Nope only the Verizon version is still on 4.2.2 all other carriers have the phone on 4.3. Posted via Android Central App
  • Your usually quite accurate but man what are you smoking today the HTC One has had 4.3 for a long time. Posted via Android Central App
  • meh, turkey hangover...lol I was reading something else about android rollouts and forgot to articulate the Verizon part. Readin??!?! How does it work...lol
  • You're looking at the Verizon version which HTC in a round about way has said the hang up is on Verizon's certification process. For the record Verizon is expected to have 4.4 by January end last I read. 4.3 will still come by December Posted via Android Central App
  • Sorry I wasnt clear in that VERIZON is still on 4.2.X
  • We at Verizon test software like no one else does. We have the world's best engineers testing the OEM updates and in order to give the best possible experience to our customers we take time for testing/rolling out quality updates.
    /s Posted via Android Central App
  • Get your customers to believe that, and maybe I'll believe that. explain why the moto x update was so fast, but the galaxy nexus was left hanging...oh right... "certification." Nexus 5...enough said
  • No the gnex is because the chipset is no longer supported ----------------------------------------------------
    So where is the competition for the Note 3? Oh right there isn't any...
  • There is a reason why Verizon doesn't have the nexus 5.... Their galaxy nexus is still on 4.2...has nothing to do with the internals... Nexus 5...enough said
  • :)
  • Kit kat doesn't matter as much to me as a s4 user, as long as my bloated phone is running smooth I'm happy. 4.3 really saved this phone BTW. Posted via Android Central App
  • Here is the lastest downloadable link HTC One KitKat 4.4 with Sense 5.5 update for Developer and Unlock Edition.
    http://click.xda-developers.com/api/click?format=go&key=f0a7f91912ae2b52... Thank to XDA-Developers Fourm.
  • Whens it coming to Canada? on the Rogers network.
  • Are there step-by-step directions in order to install after download?
  • So, I have an unlocked One; however, I've not received OTA update. Anyone else unlocked who actually received update? I keep mashing update button, but no updates found past 2 days.
  • That's what I wanna know i have an unlocked one too and nothing over here Posted via Android Central App