Android 4.4 KitKat update news, release date, features and reviews
Forget iOS 7, Android 4.4 is where it's at. Richard takes a look at what's new
Android KitKat 4.4 is now out in the wild, admittedly in a limited capacity at this stage.
While then new version might not be a massive overhaul in terms of functionality, it's a signficiant face-lift on the UI design front, with a noticably lighter and brighter interface freed from this heavy, dark bar elements at the top and bottom.
Icons are also bigger, while Google Now has been fully integrated into the launcher. The general idea is to make Android nicer to look at and easier to use.
At the moment the full KitKat experience is only available through the Nexus 5, with other Nexus devices getting the UI change but not the added Google Now launcher functionality.
Read on to find out all the details about Google's latest chocolate flavoured OS.
[Scroll down for Android 4.4 update schedule]
Android 4.4 is a pretty significant update, one that sees both UX changes and plenty of new features added. A lot has also gone under the hood, but anyone using a stock version of the platform will immediately notice subtle differences in the design, layout, look and feel of the platform.
Icons are bigger, the app tray has been re-designed and Google Now is a lot more influential inside the OS. Android 4.4 is currently only available on Google’s Nexus devices –– specifically, the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (both versions), Nexus 4 and Nexus 10. Unfortunately there is no support for the Samsung-built Galaxy Nexus S.
Below is everything you need to know about Google’s brand-spanking new iteration of Android complete with update news, features, reviews and tips and tricks. Take a break, have a KitKat, and enjoy…
These handsets have an enormous spread all over the world, it would make a lot of people really happy to get a KitKat update. Don’t expect it to be coming out very soon though, it seems like this is all still in the planning stages.
Tom Dawson at Android Headlines explains,
One Twitter user advises returning to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean whilst Google irons out the problems.
Android KitKat now up and running on 1.1% of Droids
Google has released its monthly Android distribution figures which now include version 4.4 of its mobile OS. According to the data, Android 4.4 KitKat is now up and running on 1.1% of Droids. But that's hardly surprising given it is currently only available on Nexus handsets.
Android Jelly Bean 4.3 jumped significantly from 2.3% in October to 4.2% in the latest figures. Both 4.1 increased by 0.1% to 37.4% of installs and 4.2 increased 0.4% to 12.9%.
In the meantime Android 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich continued to drop as more and more Android users update to Jelly Bean. Android 3.2 Honeycomb is still included in the list with 0.1% share.
Android 4.4 will be seeded to networks around the same time but unlocked handsets will likely get access to the update first. Prior to Elliot’s omission, reports suggested the G2 might get its 4.4 update as early as December.
Was Elliot just referring to Canadian G2 handsets only? It’s possible. But whether this means the original rumours of a December release for 4.4 are true is another thing entirely. LG is remaining rather tight-lipped about its update plans, meaning we have very little concrete evidence to go on – other than Elliot's Q1 2014.
As it stands, the LG G2 – at least in Canada – will be getting Android 4.4 before the end of March 2014. We’ve reached out to LG for comment on its UK plans for the LG G2 and will update as soon as we know more.
Support for wireless streaming to Apple TV, Xbox 360, PS3 and other AirPlay DLNA compatible devices is also still present, creating one of the most robust media solutions available on Google’s Android platform.
If you’re not familiar with DoubleTwist, the app is essentially an iTunes conduit for Android that lets users sync iTunes libraries with an Android device. In the beginning that was all it did, but over the years DoubleTwist has added in a raft of features, making the app one of the best-loved media propositions inside Google Play.
The company has also developed an open-source version of Apple's AirPlay technology for wireless streaming, making streaming even easier between compatible devices. So if you don’t already have it installed on your Droids, perhaps it’s time to head on over to Google Play and get this sucker downloaded?
ReadWrite's Dan Rowinski, interviewd Google's head of engineering, Dave Burke, who explained the approach to further optimising Android KitKat.
The move followed Google's development of Project Butter in Android Jelly Bean, a series of UI latency optimisations to make things run as smoothly as possible. The new project for KitKat, codenamed Project Svelte, aimed to build on this further.
"The goal of Project Svelte was basically to reduce the memory footprint to fit into 512 megs. The way we did it, by the way ... was to take a Nexus 4 and adapt it to run at 512 megs," said Burke.
Burke also outlined the goals of the project:
“We reduced it from four CPUs to two CPUs. We reduced the clock frequency and whatnot. And literally a bunch of us just used that as our default phone. It was painful and it was broken to start with."
So what about Android 4.4 KitKat? Below are some handy tips and tricks that’ll ensure you get the most out of your new handset. We’ll be adding more as and when we discover them. But for now here’s our current pick.
Google’s always-on Google Now feature –– the one where you say, “Okay, Google” –– for some reason does not work when you have your handset’s language settings on English UK.
Why this is the case is unclear. Fortunately, there’s a work a round. All you have to do is go into Google Now –– swipe left from the Home screen –– go into Settings (three dots in the bottom right corner), then Voice and Select Language and reset it to English US. “Okay, Google” will now work from inside Google Now and from any of the Nexus 5’s homescreen.
Battery Saving GPS Mode essentially minimises the number of reference points used to derive your exact location and thus saves you unnecessary battery wastage. To enable this go to: Settings > Location > Mode, and enable Battery Saving.
For pinpoint accuracy, as and when you need it, go back into the Settings and select High Accuracy.
To locate this little animation, head to Settings > About Phone > and then triple tap on Android Version. The KitKat animation boots up shortly thereafter. To get back to the Home screen just tap the Home button.
In a post on the company's SonyMobile blog, Sony said, "We've seen lots of questions on our Android upgrade roadmap and equally, we have lots to tell you, so here's a note on just that..."
Sony clarified that several of its existing Xperia handsets would be making the jump to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean shortly.
"We're pleased to tell you that well start rolling Android 4.3 for Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 from next month."
The Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V will also be upgraded on the same schedule.
Somewhat frustratingly, Sony hasn't specified exactly when its devices will get KitKat 4.4, only revealing that the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 will be making the jump.
Instead of a precise date, or even a vague one, Sony has simply stated that users should "stay tuned to the social newsroom and @SonyMobileNews," where the company will update us with more specific details "as things progress."
Still, at least something is happening.
On Monday 4 November a member of the XDA developer forums discovered some code for Android 4.4.1 intended to disable the translucent menu bars for the Nexus 10 tablet as apprently Google is having some trouble implementing this feature on the larger tablet device.
Today, November 7, another bit of info has emerged to add weight to the Android 4.4.1 idea as tech blog Myce reports that an "inattentive Google employee" has revealed the build under development. Myce spotted the KOT31B build in Google's Chromium issue tracker.
"The issue was first marked with the Google-Restrict-View label which makes it only readable to Google employees but the label was later removed," Myce reports, "The build is only a week old and could be the sign we’ll see a 4.4.1 version."
The "K" aligns with the version name for KitKat or Key Lime Pie (KitKat's earlier development name, Jelly Bean builds had a "J"), while the T31 indicates the build is from October 31.
With KitKat’s Photo Editor you can apply predefined looks, alter the geometry, saturation and applied filters. But perhaps best of all – Photo Editor is non-destructive. Which means no matter what you do to an image you can always revert back to the original one.
“The editor is pretty powerful, works on tablet and phones, handles full-size image processing, zooming, re-edit, image exports, user presets, etc. This new version also adds more powerful specialized tools (graduated filters, per-channel saturation controls, local adjustments, etc.),” wrote Roard in a Google+ post.
You can also export an image from Photo Editor in different sizes and file formats. Photo Editor is now shipping inside ASOP, according to Google.
While then new version might not be a massive overhaul in terms of functionality, it's a signficiant face-lift on the UI design front, with a noticably lighter and brighter interface freed from this heavy, dark bar elements at the top and bottom.
Icons are also bigger, while Google Now has been fully integrated into the launcher. The general idea is to make Android nicer to look at and easier to use.
Read on to find out all the details about Google's latest chocolate flavoured OS.
[Scroll down for Android 4.4 update schedule]
Android 4.4 is a pretty significant update, one that sees both UX changes and plenty of new features added. A lot has also gone under the hood, but anyone using a stock version of the platform will immediately notice subtle differences in the design, layout, look and feel of the platform.
Icons are bigger, the app tray has been re-designed and Google Now is a lot more influential inside the OS. Android 4.4 is currently only available on Google’s Nexus devices –– specifically, the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (both versions), Nexus 4 and Nexus 10. Unfortunately there is no support for the Samsung-built Galaxy Nexus S.
Below is everything you need to know about Google’s brand-spanking new iteration of Android complete with update news, features, reviews and tips and tricks. Take a break, have a KitKat, and enjoy…
KitKat could come to older mid-range Samsung devices
Samsung are looking into updating some older handsets to Android 4.4 KitKat. A leaked internal document has shown a bunch of handsets being investigated by Samsung. These include the Galaxy S4 mini, Galaxy SIII mini, Galaxy S Advance, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy Core, Galaxy Frame and the Galaxy Fresh are involved. The shot below shows that there is the potential for a load more handsets further down the list.How to manually update the Nexus 5
Pining for Android 4.4.1 on your Nexus 5? Well someone has worked out how to do it manually and has posted a helpful user guide. It’s understandable that you may want to update considering that fixed camera feature is prescent on 4.4.1 KitKat. If you’re well experienced in using commands then you should get stuck in but if not just wait for the OTA as this is going to get complicated.Tom Dawson at Android Headlines explains,
- “Rename the downloaded .ZIP to something easier to type, we’ll use “android441.zip”
- Reboot your Nexus 5 into the bootloader by holding Power+Vol Down and then hit Vol Up to get to Recovery, press the Power button to boot into recovery
- When in recovery mode, use the volume keys to navigate to “Apply Update from ADB” and hit the power button
- Connect your Nexus 5 to your PC/Laptop
- Open a command prompt or terminal in the same folder as the OTA file (Windows users can hit “Ctrl+Shift+Right Click”) and type “adb devices” to check if your Nexus 5 is seen.
- Once there, just type “adb sideload android441.zip”
- Your Nexus 5 should take a little while to reboot and then you’ll be running Android 4.4.1, which you can check from the settings. Remember, if you’ve adjusted anything in the /system partition, the update will fail.”
Android 4.4 KitKat causing problems with Nexus 4
Nexus 4 owners are reporting a number of problems since updating to Android 4.4 KitKat. The update was available for Nexus 4 and has been causing some users issues. Problems reported include the phone dialler not working, the lock-screen...locking up and becoming unusable and the home button stopping altogether. Other problems include faster battery drain, lag in the phones performance and the device shutting down unexpectedly.One Twitter user advises returning to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean whilst Google irons out the problems.
Due to various performance issues and malfunctioning hot-spot feature on Android 4.4 KitKat, I've just downgraded my Nexus 4 to Jelly Bean.
— JarosÅ‚aw Morawski (@kreativtek) November 30, 2013
Yikes. Anyone else experiencing issues?Android KitKat now up and running on 1.1% of Droids
Google has released its monthly Android distribution figures which now include version 4.4 of its mobile OS. According to the data, Android 4.4 KitKat is now up and running on 1.1% of Droids. But that's hardly surprising given it is currently only available on Nexus handsets.
Android Jelly Bean 4.3 jumped significantly from 2.3% in October to 4.2% in the latest figures. Both 4.1 increased by 0.1% to 37.4% of installs and 4.2 increased 0.4% to 12.9%.
In the meantime Android 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich continued to drop as more and more Android users update to Jelly Bean. Android 3.2 Honeycomb is still included in the list with 0.1% share.
LG G2 will get Android 4.4 update in Q1 2014
The LG G2 will receive an OTA update to Android 4.4 in Q1 2014, according to LG Canada’s Court Elliot. The LG Rep said the update would begin rolling out in late-Q1, “or towards the end of March”, according to Mobile Syrup.Android 4.4 will be seeded to networks around the same time but unlocked handsets will likely get access to the update first. Prior to Elliot’s omission, reports suggested the G2 might get its 4.4 update as early as December.
Was Elliot just referring to Canadian G2 handsets only? It’s possible. But whether this means the original rumours of a December release for 4.4 are true is another thing entirely. LG is remaining rather tight-lipped about its update plans, meaning we have very little concrete evidence to go on – other than Elliot's Q1 2014.
As it stands, the LG G2 – at least in Canada – will be getting Android 4.4 before the end of March 2014. We’ve reached out to LG for comment on its UK plans for the LG G2 and will update as soon as we know more.
DoubleTwist redesigned for Android 4.4: The best media solution for Android just got a lot better
DoubleTwist has redesigned its smartphone and tablet application for Android 4.4, implementing a cleaner UX with a focus on images and album artwork.Support for wireless streaming to Apple TV, Xbox 360, PS3 and other AirPlay DLNA compatible devices is also still present, creating one of the most robust media solutions available on Google’s Android platform.
If you’re not familiar with DoubleTwist, the app is essentially an iTunes conduit for Android that lets users sync iTunes libraries with an Android device. In the beginning that was all it did, but over the years DoubleTwist has added in a raft of features, making the app one of the best-loved media propositions inside Google Play.
The company has also developed an open-source version of Apple's AirPlay technology for wireless streaming, making streaming even easier between compatible devices. So if you don’t already have it installed on your Droids, perhaps it’s time to head on over to Google Play and get this sucker downloaded?
Android KitKat 4.4 was optimised on a Nexus 4 with 512MB of RAM
It appears Android KitKat might be the most optimisied build to date as reports indicate Google's engineers were forced to streamline the software on specially setup Nexus 4 handsets with 512MB of RAM onboard.ReadWrite's Dan Rowinski, interviewd Google's head of engineering, Dave Burke, who explained the approach to further optimising Android KitKat.
The move followed Google's development of Project Butter in Android Jelly Bean, a series of UI latency optimisations to make things run as smoothly as possible. The new project for KitKat, codenamed Project Svelte, aimed to build on this further.
"The goal of Project Svelte was basically to reduce the memory footprint to fit into 512 megs. The way we did it, by the way ... was to take a Nexus 4 and adapt it to run at 512 megs," said Burke.
Burke also outlined the goals of the project:
- Reduce the footprint of the system.
- Reduce the footprint (memory usage) of the apps that run on a Google Experience (Nexus) device.
- Fix how apps react and crash during bad memory situations.
- Provide better measurement and instrumentation of how apps are running in Android so developers can see how memory-conscious their apps are.
“We reduced it from four CPUs to two CPUs. We reduced the clock frequency and whatnot. And literally a bunch of us just used that as our default phone. It was painful and it was broken to start with."
Android 4.4 KitKat: Some Tasty Tips & Tricks
If you’ve already picked up a Nexus 5 –– Congrats! –– it’s an awesome phone, perhaps even one of the best Android handsets of the year. The specs are great, the hardware is plentiful, it runs the latest build of Android (4.4) and it costs just £299 off contract. What’s not to like?So what about Android 4.4 KitKat? Below are some handy tips and tricks that’ll ensure you get the most out of your new handset. We’ll be adding more as and when we discover them. But for now here’s our current pick.
Get “Okay, Google” working in UK
Google’s always-on Google Now feature –– the one where you say, “Okay, Google” –– for some reason does not work when you have your handset’s language settings on English UK.
Why this is the case is unclear. Fortunately, there’s a work a round. All you have to do is go into Google Now –– swipe left from the Home screen –– go into Settings (three dots in the bottom right corner), then Voice and Select Language and reset it to English US. “Okay, Google” will now work from inside Google Now and from any of the Nexus 5’s homescreen.
Save Battery with Smarter Location settings
More and more applications want to know where you are and what you’re doing. All of this location pinpointing requires GPS, and that in turn warrants juice from your Nexus 5’s battery. Google knows this and has attempted something of a workaround inside Android 4.4 called Battery Saving GPS Mode.Battery Saving GPS Mode essentially minimises the number of reference points used to derive your exact location and thus saves you unnecessary battery wastage. To enable this go to: Settings > Location > Mode, and enable Battery Saving.
For pinpoint accuracy, as and when you need it, go back into the Settings and select High Accuracy.
Turn off NFC
Not using NFC? Turn it off.Check out Google’s Android KitKat animation
Hidden away inside Android 4.4’s menu settings is a little KitKat animation. It doesn’t do anything other than let you spin the KitKat logo but it is quite cool, especially for bragging rights –– no one will have KitKat for quite some time unless they have a Nexus.To locate this little animation, head to Settings > About Phone > and then triple tap on Android Version. The KitKat animation boots up shortly thereafter. To get back to the Home screen just tap the Home button.
Sony reveals Android 4.4. KitKat update roadmap
Sony has revealed its plans to introduce Android 4.4 KitKat to existing Xperia devices.In a post on the company's SonyMobile blog, Sony said, "We've seen lots of questions on our Android upgrade roadmap and equally, we have lots to tell you, so here's a note on just that..."
Sony clarified that several of its existing Xperia handsets would be making the jump to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean shortly.
"We're pleased to tell you that well start rolling Android 4.3 for Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 from next month."
The Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V will also be upgraded on the same schedule.
Somewhat frustratingly, Sony hasn't specified exactly when its devices will get KitKat 4.4, only revealing that the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 will be making the jump.
Instead of a precise date, or even a vague one, Sony has simply stated that users should "stay tuned to the social newsroom and @SonyMobileNews," where the company will update us with more specific details "as things progress."
Still, at least something is happening.
Android 4.4.1 update already in the works
Evidence has emerged suggesting Google is already hard at work on an Android 4.4.1 update patch for its latest mobile software.On Monday 4 November a member of the XDA developer forums discovered some code for Android 4.4.1 intended to disable the translucent menu bars for the Nexus 10 tablet as apprently Google is having some trouble implementing this feature on the larger tablet device.
Today, November 7, another bit of info has emerged to add weight to the Android 4.4.1 idea as tech blog Myce reports that an "inattentive Google employee" has revealed the build under development. Myce spotted the KOT31B build in Google's Chromium issue tracker.
"The issue was first marked with the Google-Restrict-View label which makes it only readable to Google employees but the label was later removed," Myce reports, "The build is only a week old and could be the sign we’ll see a 4.4.1 version."
The "K" aligns with the version name for KitKat or Key Lime Pie (KitKat's earlier development name, Jelly Bean builds had a "J"), while the T31 indicates the build is from October 31.
Android 4.4’s Advanced Photo Editor detailed
Android 4.4 features an advanced photo-editing suite that Google has optimised for use on both smartphones and tablets. Google software engineer Nicolas Roard took to YouTube to detail the application aboard a Nexus 7 slate.With KitKat’s Photo Editor you can apply predefined looks, alter the geometry, saturation and applied filters. But perhaps best of all – Photo Editor is non-destructive. Which means no matter what you do to an image you can always revert back to the original one.
“The editor is pretty powerful, works on tablet and phones, handles full-size image processing, zooming, re-edit, image exports, user presets, etc. This new version also adds more powerful specialized tools (graduated filters, per-channel saturation controls, local adjustments, etc.),” wrote Roard in a Google+ post.
You can also export an image from Photo Editor in different sizes and file formats. Photo Editor is now shipping inside ASOP, according to Google.
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