KitKat coming to MediaTek phones this month: Report


The agenda of MediaTek phones lagging behind on Android iterations is well, well-discussed to say the least. While many MediaTek users have been trying to pressurize the company into releasing more up to date firmware, some have tried petitioning for open-sourcing of MediaTek resources.

According to a report, the Taiwanese fabrication giant is finally considering users’ pleas. Although it doesn’t look like it will be open sourced, but MediaTek is reportedly working on the release of Android v4.4 KitKat for a plethora of its chipsets. Devices based on quad-core chipsets including the MT6589 and the MT6582 along with the newer, octa-core MT6592 among other versions are in line for a KitKat upgrade, which should come later this month.

Gizchina News of the week


Most MediaTek devices, as you’d probably be aware, come with only Android v4.2 Jelly Bean, to the disappointment of many. Chinese manufacturers have been dishing out quality hardware for quite some time, which makes missing updates even more of a shame. However, this brings us a ray of hope. Whether or not manufacturers decide to implement the update would be up to them of course, but we don’t see a good reason why they wouldn’t.

[Source, Via]
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60 Comments

  1. Zeca
    April 4, 2014

    I just believe when I do the update.

    • Anverx
      April 4, 2014

      +1

    • parik6it
      April 4, 2014

      so true

  2. nietjason
    April 4, 2014

    This is very good news

  3. Maxwell
    April 4, 2014

    Most BLU phones will update to KitKat at date 01/05/2014 =).

    • Evgenij Nebotov
      April 9, 2014

      if blu will, other should too.

    • John Moody
      June 3, 2014

      Lol hardly. Failed to deliver twice already.

  4. Aeonia
    April 4, 2014

    only time will tell..Lets see how well they are committed to their customers…

    your move MediaTek

  5. junior_poa
    April 4, 2014

    uowwwww!! o/o/o/o/o/o/

  6. Evgenij Nebotov
    April 4, 2014

    just don’t care much about android version bragging to my friends.. updated?good. faster? nice. not updated? i knew what i was buying.

    • BotondKisKovacs
      April 9, 2014

      Normally that is true but this is Android 4.4 which was specifically made to require less resources and run much better than previous versions. 4.4 should fly on older/cheaper devices that have only 512 mb RAM. All other 4.x versions are pretty irrelevant to be honest but I do want 4.4 on my crappy device so at least it looks better, moves better and I can use it for a while more without being tempted to smash it’s laggy ass.

      • Evgenij Nebotov
        April 9, 2014

        that is an interesting insight, thank you!

  7. OnlyMe999
    April 4, 2014

    If the Jiayu F1 could get this update that would be a much better phone.

  8. BulgAryan
    April 4, 2014

    Don’t hold your breath… KitKat for Huawei Ascend p6 was supposed to be released end of January, still not in sight.

    • Barry
      April 4, 2014

      Android 4.4 Kitkat rolls out on Huawei Ascend P6

      Posted on March 4, 2014 by Andi

    • Evilone
      April 7, 2014

      Huawei always give empty promises. Loss fate in their product. World number 3 smartphone…suck
      !

  9. Guest
    April 4, 2014

    I just believe when I do the update.

    • Anverx
      April 4, 2014

      +1

    • Guest
      April 5, 2014

      so true

  10. ZX
    April 4, 2014

    I will never buy mediatek again, no opensource – no porting of newer systems. And you have to wait till they give you new…

  11. Guest
    April 4, 2014

    This is very good news

  12. Guest
    April 4, 2014

    Most BLU phones will update to KitKat at date 01/05/2014 =).

    • Evgenij Nebotov
      April 9, 2014

      if blu will, other should too.

    • John Moody
      June 3, 2014

      Lol hardly. Failed to deliver twice already.

  13. Boni M.
    April 4, 2014

    only time will tell..Lets see how well they are committed to their customers…

    your move MediaTek

  14. Petr Bělousov
    April 4, 2014

    sounds great, I just hope they don’t cripple microsdcards as in other 4.4 versions….

  15. Guest
    April 4, 2014

    uowwwww!! o/o/o/o/o/o/

  16. Evgenij Nebotov
    April 4, 2014

    just don’t care much about android version bragging to my friends.. updated?good. faster? nice. not updated? i knew what i was buying.

    • BotondKisKovacs
      April 9, 2014

      Normally that is true but this is Android 4.4 which was specifically made to require less resources and run much better than previous versions. 4.4 should fly on older/cheaper devices that have only 512 mb RAM. All other 4.x versions are pretty irrelevant to be honest but I do want 4.4 on my crappy device so at least it looks better, moves better and I can use it for a while more without being tempted to smash it’s laggy ass.

    • Evgenij Nebotov
      April 9, 2014

      that is an interesting insight, thank you!

  17. OnlyMe999
    April 4, 2014

    If the Jiayu F1 could get this update that would be a much better phone.

  18. John Gass
    April 4, 2014

    Yes, the lack of updates is regrettable, but I bought my Chinese phone knowing that what arrived would be what I’d be living with for the phone’s lifetime. But if Mediatek want to conquer the world, they need to sort out GPS (EPO downloads seem very problematic), power consumption (I’ve just received a 3,000 mAh battery and, finally, running time is up to where my S3 used to be) and Android updates. Even though my Neken N6 Pro is powered by a MTK6592, these are the areas where my old Samsung Galaxy S3 had a clear advantage.

    • ZX
      April 4, 2014

      I knew it was “android 5.0 upgradable” as was said by THL (so info from MediaTek, cause only they can give update…)

  19. BulgAryan
    April 4, 2014

    Don’t hold your breath… KitKat for Huawei Ascend p6 was supposed to be released end of January, still not in sight.

    • Guest
      April 4, 2014

      Android 4.4 Kitkat rolls out on Huawei Ascend P6

      Posted on March 4, 2014 by Andi

    • Guest
      April 7, 2014

      Huawei always give empty promises. Loss fate in their product. World number 3 smartphone…suck
      !

  20. Guest
    April 4, 2014

    I will never buy mediatek again, no opensource – no porting of newer systems. And you have to wait till they give you new…

  21. Petr Bělousov
    April 4, 2014

    sounds great, I just hope they don’t cripple microsdcards as in other 4.4 versions….

  22. John Gass
    April 4, 2014

    Yes, the lack of updates is regrettable, but I bought my Chinese phone knowing that what arrived would be what I’d be living with for the phone’s lifetime. But if Mediatek want to conquer the world, they need to sort out GPS (EPO downloads seem very problematic), power consumption (I’ve just received a 3,000 mAh battery and, finally, running time is up to where my S3 used to be) and Android updates. Even though my Neken N6 Pro is powered by a MTK6592, these are the areas where my old Samsung Galaxy S3 had a clear advantage.

    • Guest
      April 4, 2014

      I knew it was “android 5.0 upgradable” as was said by THL (so info from MediaTek, cause only they can give update…)

  23. POY
    April 4, 2014

    If they do roll this out for my ThL W8s I’ll be a happy man

  24. anime
    April 4, 2014

    i wish so

  25. POY
    April 5, 2014

    If they do roll this out for my ThL W8s I’ll be a happy man

  26. Guest
    April 5, 2014

    i wish so

  27. Aeonia
    April 5, 2014

    MediaTek may release but manufacturer may not….esp for mtk6589 devices..

  28. Boni M.
    April 5, 2014

    MediaTek may release but manufacturer may not….esp for mtk6589 devices..

  29. April 6, 2014

    There are only two possibilities here:
    1) mediatek open sources and apologizes hardcore
    2) Intel, all winner, rockchips, amlogic eat their lunch with their “radical” open documented platforms

    Only a monopoly can treat its customers that badly, and mtk no longer has a monopoly on really low cost decent processors for mobile devices.

  30. Jacob Gadikian
    April 6, 2014

    There are only two possibilities here:
    1) mediatek open sources and apologizes hardcore
    2) Intel, all winner, rockchips, amlogic eat their lunch with their “radical” open documented platforms

    Only a monopoly can treat its customers that badly, and mtk no longer has a monopoly on really low cost decent processors for mobile devices.

  31. pueblo23
    April 7, 2014

    what about Qualcomm Snapdragons? are they any better in open source community? thinking about Redmi 1S once it is released…

  32. pueblo23
    April 7, 2014

    what about Qualcomm Snapdragons? are they any better in open source community? thinking about Redmi 1S once it is released…

  33. Tanbin Islam Siyam
    April 7, 2014

    The lower end devices need KitKat more than those quad/octa cores. Stupid mediatek ignored 6572.

  34. Tanbin Islam Siyam
    April 7, 2014

    The lower end devices need KitKat more than those quad/octa cores. Stupid mediatek ignored 6572.

  35. sandertrots
    April 7, 2014

    if your own phonebrand does not give kitkat (i have ulefone u692) is there then a way to put kitkat on your phone now mediatek is gonna supply it to use? for example could u download some installer from mediatek.com or something?

  36. sandertrots
    April 8, 2014

    if your own phonebrand does not give kitkat (i have ulefone u692) is there then a way to put kitkat on your phone now mediatek is gonna supply it to use? for example could u download some installer from mediatek.com or something?

  37. dilharo
    April 8, 2014

    media”late”tek
    Micro”late”max

  38. dilharo
    April 8, 2014

    media”late”tek
    Micro”late”max

  39. patator
    May 2, 2014

    2nd of may … and no kitkat on Merdiatek CPUs … as usual, promises, promises …

    • May 2, 2014

      I heard from Elephone today, they have KitKat on the way. Hopefully other phones are on the way

  40. Guest
    May 2, 2014

    2nd of may … and no kitkat on Merdiatek CPUs … as usual, promises, promises …

    • Andi Sykes
      May 2, 2014

      I heard from Elephone today, they have KitKat on the way. Hopefully other phones are on the way