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Ever wonder why it seems to take most phones forever to receive a new version of Android(s goog)? It turns out the update process is a lot more complicated than you’d imagine. HTC has created a fantastic infographic, detailing the anatomy of an Android update, tracing the steps from a pre-announcement PDK all the way to your phone.

According to HTC, there are no fewer than 12 steps necessary to bring an Android update to a carrier-based device. And though it isn’t mentioned in the graphic, a number of those steps involve waiting for approval from the carrier, which makes a lengthy process even longer. You can get your software faster with a Google Play edition device, or an unlocked or developer phone, but even those updates require seven or eight steps respectively.

Seeing this doesn’t take any of the frustration of waiting months for an update, but it does help to put things into perspective. And kudos to HTC for being relatively transparent about the update process, at least as far as its HTC One Series of phones are concerned. The OEM shows which phone are currently running Android 4.4 KitKat, and where other phones are in the update process. It won’t make those updates come any faster, but at least you’ll know you’re not waiting in vain.