Android 4.4 KitKat vs. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean: 10 UI Changes Compared via Screenshot Leaks
New screenshots leaked of the latest Android 4.4 user interface which runs perfectly on both Nexus 5 and Nexus 7. Know the Android 4.4 features and changes compared to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Android Mosaic
Google included the Android heritage using a moving mosaic on Android 4.4 KitKat which can be accessed by pressing and holding on the red KitKat logo. It features the OS version timeline - Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and KitKat.
Notifications Bar
The notifications bar feature white colour instead of the classic blue colour scheme in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Notification icons such as Wi-Fi, battery bar and time remains the same in size and looks.
Application Drawer
Some app icons such as Google Settings, Voice Search and YouTube have been changed while new apps like QuickOffice are now native inside Android 4.4 KitKat which you cannot find in Android 4.3. The Apps and Widgets tabs are the same and the Play Store icon remains on its original spot at the top-right part of the app drawer.
Clock, Stopwatch and Timer UI
Android 4.4 clock display noticeably changed as its fonts are more balanced compared to Android 4.3.1 Jelly Bean. Another change is that the alarm clock migrates to the top left in KitKat which came from the bottom in Jelly Bean.
The stopwatch finally stopped streaming its font and more centred in Android 4.4. While the timer is relatively similar with Android 4.3 except for the less bold font, bottom placing of letters, more balanced numerals and bigger start button at the bottom part.
Downloads App
Default downloads app for Android 4.4 KitKat features white theme compared with the black used in 4.3. The menu and list options are not located at the top-right area of the app. Hopefully, the default downloader on KitKat is more stable than the previous version.
About Device
Early screenshot revealed that the Android version section is still "KeyLimePie" which is the preliminary version of 4.4 KitKat. Other than that, everything appears to be similar with 4.3.1.
Cloud Printing
Android 4.4 includes printing services which can be found in the Settings menu. You can enable and disable the Cloud Print feature anytime you want.
Settings Menu
Wireless & Networks section remains the same with controls over network configuration, while the Device section includes "Home" and "Tap & Play" feature for wireless payment using the tablet.
Tap & Pay Feature
Rumours of wireless payment seem to be true as the leaked screenshot revealed the "Tap & Pay" application. But the screenshot didn't include the demonstration of live UI once enabled.
QuickOffice
Google's own application to open and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentation is now native in Android 4.4 KitKat. QuickOffice includes function such as recent files, open file from and create new file.