Android 4.4 KitKat: Confirmed Older Devices Support, New Animations, Gallery Visualisations, Tweaks, APIs, Widgets
Google's upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat and Nexus 5 smartphone have been tipped to be released on October 14, 2013 including what things fans should expect soon. Here are the latest hints on Android KitKat and the next-gen Nexus 5 phone.
Google's Nexus 5
After the leaked FCC filings of the Nexus 5, tippers have hinted out that October 14 would be its release date alongside Android 4.4 KitKat. The next-generation Nexus smartphone would be the very first device running Android 4.4 which eventually will be pushed to other Nexus devices such Nexus 7 2013, Nexus 7 2012 and LG Nexus 4.
LG seemed to be the manufacturer behind Nexus 5 which had successful experience with Nexus 4. Nexus 5 is suspected to feature the same design concept as LG G2, improved camera technology, narrow bezel, latest network coverage and compatibility, pure Android Vanilla UI from 4.4 KitKat and optical image stabilization.
Rumoured technical specifications:
- Android 4.4 KitKat OS
- 5.0 inches of full HD display with narrower bezel than Nexus 4
- LG G2 overall design except for the button
- 2.3-GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
- LTE connectivity
- 2 GB of RAM
- 13 MP camera with optical image stabilization
- 2300 mAh battery
Support on Older Devices
Android 4.4 KitKat rumours regarding support on older devices seem to be coming true in October. One of the tips informing Android Community is the ability of 4.4 KitKat to run old Android devices which probably have been locked on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Android Central reported that Google is working to update the current Linux kernel on Android OS to version 3.8. The new version will bring significant changes to the ecosystem which includes new support on NVIDIA Tegra and Samsung's Exynos processors and low memory footprint - probably to affect both the RAM and storage size of the OS.
Several Android devices from HTC, LG, Samsung, Sony and others are unable to run Android 4.2 and 4.3 Jelly Bean due to heavy requirements such as having at least 512 RAM and dual-core processors. Hopefully, owners of low-cost Android phones may be able to get Android 4.4 KitKat from their manufacturers once released by Google.
Android 4.4 KitKat Features
Google is offering major changes with Android 4.4 KitKat which includes a new ecosystem, older device support, lightweight OS, smoother system performance and more. The UI is also renewed, replacing the cyan theme with another colour, tons of new animations, new APIs, more gallery visualization and tweaking plus a new notifications widget. Here are some clues provided by Google on the Android KitKat:
1. More beautiful and immersive than ever
2. More CPU core types to support
3. Better processor handling
4. Smoother screen orientation transitions
5. Exclusive clouding system for Android devices
6. Wider global coverage and compatibility
7. Newly defined software UI
8. Relatively lightweight to use
9. Major improvements on bug fixes and security
10. Enhanced battery life