The OnePlus One has been delayed due to an OpenSSL bug

The OnePlus One smartphone, a handset that actually requires you to be in possession of an invitation before you can actually make a purchase, has apparently seen its launch delayed due to an OpenSSL bug that is touted to be a whole lot more serious than originally expected. The folks over at Cyanogen Mod have decided to throw in a bug fix for the initially launched version of the smartphone, and this would translate to the requirement for an entirely new certification where its firmware is concerned. Ciwrl from Cyanogen Mod has mentioned on Reddit that “We believe the security benefits outweigh the delay.” I suppose good things come to those who wait, and exercising a little bit more patience would go a long way in this matter. After all, no one would like to receive a handset with gimped software on it, would they?

OnePlus is once again delaying the One, its spec-heavy debut smartphone starting at $299 USD. Though the company has taken some questionable paths to get to this point, the latest delay, announced in a letter to those awaiting an invite, is blamed on a last-minute software update meant to “work on perfecting some final issues.” While the letter itseld doesn’t go into detail, a CyanogenMOD member took to Reddit to clear up some misconceptions about what exactly this software update entails. Turns out that the OpenSSL bugs made public last week — these barely two months after the Heartbleed OpenSSL bug that racked the internet — were more severe than some would have let on. As a result, “[CyanogenMOD] decided to include the correction for those vulnerabilities, in the factory release of the One. A new release means the whole firmware needs to be re-certified (including QA time), but we believe the security benefits outweigh the delay. So yes, there was a new build issued at fairly last minute, but it wasn’t due to missing set deadlines or expectations.” In other words, the issue isn’t with OnePlus, nor really with CyanogenMOD, but with bad luck and an emphasis on security. To that, I say good on you, CyanogenMOD. Way to take your time to deliver a better product rather than rushing it to market and risk your users’ data in the process.