The unlocked and developer edition versions of the HTC One in the U.S. are now getting a special treatment, as the latest Android 4.4 KitKat has started to roll out.

Just recently HTC announced that it was rolling out the Android 4.4 KitKat update to its HTC One Google Play edition, and now owners of the unlocked or developer HTC One can now enjoy the same treatment.

While HTC had previously announced that it would roll out the latest software in January for these models, the company has now announced that the firmware is rolling out ahead of schedule.

"HTC One Unlocked and Developer Edition owners - your Kit Kat roll out starts today! Let us know your favorite new additions," tweeted HTC USA.

The company offered no additional details regarding when the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the HTC One would roll out for the major U.S. carriers. With the unlocked and developer editions of the HTC One now getting the upgrade, however, it shouldn't be too long until the carrier versions of the handset get the latest Android version as well.

The HTC One is considered one of the best smartphones of 2013, as it boasts high-end specs and an elegant design with its stylish aluminum unibody case. The smartphone sports a 4.7-inch full HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage capacity, with no microSD card slot for additional memory.

Other specs include a 4-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, auto focus, 1080p video recording capabilities and HTC's UltraPixel technology, as well as a 2.1-megapixel front camera for video calls. The HTC One also features Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, the popular Beats Audio, and GPS+ GLONASS. A 2,300 mAh battery keeps things up and running.

The Android 4.4 KitKat update is rolling out now for the unlocked and developer editions of the HTC One, but the rollout process is gradual. This means that it may take some time for HTC One owners to get the latest software. If you haven't received the update notification yet, you can manually check for the update from the Settings menu.