Android 4.4 Kit Kat update: What To Expect

Android 4.4 Kit Kat update: What To Expect

Forget iOS 7, Android 4.4 is where it's at. Damien McFerran looks at the proposed changes

While Apple fans get to grips with the freshly-released iOS7, Android users are eagerly awaiting the launch of Kit Kat – otherwise known as Android 4.4. Rumoured to be launching on October 14, the latest version of Google's mobile OS should be accompanied by the Nexus 5, the newest handset in Nexus lineage and the second to be produced by manufacturer LG.

Nestle has revealed that Android KitKat will launch in October via its official Facebook page, adding fuel to claims that Google will unveil its new version of Android and the Nexus 5 on October 14. 

Asked when Android 4.4 was launching by one of its fans, Nestle responded – in German – with the following statement: “Android 4.4 KitKat is available from October.”

Ahead of an official announcement from Google, this is about as concrete a launch date as we’re likely to get. Check out the Nestlé’s blunder by clicking here.  

With the release close at hand, we've decided to run down the features you can look forward to in Android 4.4 and why they're worth getting exciting about.

Android KitKat: Better looking UI

Apple's sweeping changes in iOS7 make it look more like Android than ever before, which speaks volumes about how attractive Google's software is these days – a far cry from the bland visuals we had to endure in the days of the HTC Dream. With Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean, Google has turned Android into one of the best-looking operating systems available and this will be due in no small part to the influence of Matias Duarte, who joined the company in 2010 after working at Palm on the similarly attractive webOS platform.

Rumoured changes include a revised colour scheme, improved notifications and other general UI enhancements. Stock Android - that is, the version which will ship on Nexus devices - looks better than ever, and 4.4 will only improve on that. Of course, by the time it gets into the hands of Samsung, LG and Sony, it will look very different as those manufacturers slap on their own custom UI skins, but we're sure some of the excellent design work will shine through regardless.

Android KitKat: Wider hardware support

One of Android's biggest issues is fragmentation thanks to the sheer number of devices available. As different versions have been released, many Android owners have been forced to sit back and watch their newly-bought phones become obsolete almost overnight - many handsets are stuck on Android 2.3 because of the stern requirements made by subsequent updates.

Google will apparently try to make amends with Android 4.4, which is rumoured to have lower specification demands and can therefore be installed on older phones and tablets. It's even been said that devices that missed out on 4.0 and beyond will be able to download 4.4  – although we'll believe that when we see it (and of course it will be down to the manufacturers and carriers to actually release the updates). But it's a positive move by Google all the same.

Android KitKat: Exclusive Cloud-based system

Cloud storage is old news – we already have the likes of Google Drive, Dropbox and Box, but Google may be looking to integrate this feature more tightly with Android. Perhaps in the same way that Apple uses iCloud for backups and the like?

You can already automatically backup your photos using Google+, and it's possible to restore certain settings whenever you sign into a new Android device, but there's clearly scope for a better, more streamlined system. We may well see it in 4.4, and it could take us one step closer to ditching onboard storage altogether.

Android KitKat: Better battery life

This is one of those features that seems to get promised every time there's a new version of Android – but this time Google could mean it. Android 4.4 is supposed to make better use of multi-core CPUs and is apparently "lightweight" in terms of the demands it places on the hardware.

That will mean better battery stamina, although this could vary depending on which device Android 4.4 is installed on. One thing's for certain: Google is working to make Android more efficient and less power-hungry, which has been one of the OS' biggest failings since day one.

Android KitKat: Smoother screen orientation changes

This might sound like a relatively minor cosmetic change, but it could end up enriching the user experience no end. The simple process of turning your phone from portrait to landscape - and back again - shouldn't be a jerky, juddery affair. Yet on many Android phones, it most certainly is – and this impacts your enjoyment, even if you don't realise it.

If Google can finally solve this irksome problem then it will take a massive step towards making Android feel as slick and responsive as iOS.

Android KitKat: Improved security and bug-squashing

Android has a very bad reputation when it comes to general security, with many critics citing the prevalence of malevolent apps on the Google Play as a serious cause for concern. Google is clearly aware of this and has recently made it easier to report malicious downloads, but it's clear that the OS still lags behind the iPhone when it comes to keeping things locked down.

Android also has a few underlying bugs - like any OS, really - and Google is promising to eradicate those with Kit Kat.

Android KitKat: And finally, some kind of confectionery tie-in

Google teaming up with food brand Nestle is a major event, and we're sure that there will be some kind of promotional feature to Android 4.4 – even if it's just as simple as pre-installed app which links in with the tasty Kit Kat chocolate snack. Perhaps key parts of the UI will have a chocolate-like theme to them? Or maybe you'll get free sweets by registering your phone? Time will tell, but just thinking about it is making us hungry.

Android KitKat spotted running on Nexus 10

Google’s forthcoming Android build, version 4.4 KitKat, has been spotted running on a Nexus 10 by a Chrome bugtracker.

According to a report from myce.com, a Google developer using a Nexus 10 reported a Chrome bug with Android build KLP KRS74D, while another used version KLP KRS74B.

KLP might well have you thinking “Key Lime Pie”, but we now know the next build will be called KitKat thanks to Google’s big reveal of the new name. It could well be that Key Lime Pie has previously been a working title and we’re still seeing remnants of the name in these reports even if the official name is now changed.

Myce’s analysis suggests that within the KRS74D/KRS74B designation, the K stands for KitKat or Key Lime Pie, R represents the “primary development branch”, S is for the year’s third quarter and the 74 is the day number for that quarter. Meanwhile the B and D designations are the builds for that day, B being the second and D being the fourth.

The bug report details a problem with video playback on Youtube and mentions that the same video “plays fine on a Nexus 7 v2,” suggesting the KitKat build is also being tested on Google’s latest tablet device.

Little is known at present regarding what changes Android 4.4 KitKat will introduce but current rumour suggests we may see it launch in October. Google usually launches its new software aboard a flagship Nexus device and we’re increasingly seeing leaks and information about the alleged Nexus 5 handset said to be in development by LG.