HTC One M8 is getting Android KitKat 4.4.3 and Android L, but not KitKat 4.4.4

Good news HTC fans. The company has just confirmed that the unlocked version of the HTC One M8 will indeed be getting Android KitKat 4.4.3 support later this week, with the new OTA rolling out towards the weekend. This will be the final update HTC does for the One M8 before Android L is out, so this also means that there’s no chance of a KitKat 4.4.4 update on the One M8. Still, the company stated that they have included the security fixes from KitKat 4.4.4 into their Android KitKat 4.4.3 update. Why they didn’t change the name to the latest version and bring the entire package is a mystery.

@Gray_Fox88 @HTCUSA @JasonMacHTC Yes, however, we've incorporated the security fixes from 4.4.4 into 4.4.3. Thanks, Mo

— Mo Versi (@moversi) July 15, 2014

This is certainly an odd take on things from Android, but it’s very likely that the company was already deep in the development for the 4.4.3 update when 4.4.4 came out, and scraping everything and starting from scratch didn’t make sense. Still, the Android KitKat 4.4.4 update is mostly about security fixes anyway, so if these are included in HTC’s KitKat 4.4.3 upgrade, we should be fine. HTC One M8 users can also look forward to the new Android L, which Google promised to release this fall, most likely in September.

HTC vowed to bring the Android L to the HTC One M8 as soon as possible and has promised to do so in at most 90 days from the OS’ launch. Android L will not only be adapted for the HTC One M8, but for most of HTC’s flagships, including last year’s HTC One M7. As for when the current update is out, we have no exact date as of yet. Expect the HTC One M8 Android KitKat 4.4.3 firmware to drop sometime Friday though. Obviously, as always the case, the update will be rolling out gradually depending on location and carrier, so if you don’t see a prompt to update your phone, don’t fret, it will come.