Today is Android 4.4 KitKat day, and what is better than the manufacturer of your favorite phone announcing the update schedule for the newest version of Android? We’ve seen HTC already respond, saying they’ll have the update within 90 days for the HTC One, and even quicker for the Google Edition. Motorola is following in their footsteps by announcing not one phone upgrade, but a whole series of them:
Android 4.4 KitKat
Moto X (All Carriers)
Verizon Phones
DROID Ultra
DROID MAXX
DROID Mini
Future Updates Plans TBA
DROID RAZR HD
DROID RAZR HD MAXX
The Moto X will likely be the first of Motorola’s newest devices to receive the update, as it doesn’t have to wait for carrier approval like many others phones do. Verizon’s DROID Ultra/MAXX/Mini will likely be shortly after, as that still has to go through Verizon to get approval. What’s not clear here is the RAZR HD series of phones, which are simply stated as “Future Plan Coming Soon.” Since those phones are still on Android 4.1.2, there’s no telling what Motorola is going to do. Rest assured though that if you’ve got the latest Motorola devices, Moto will be skipping right over Android 4.3 and going straight to Android 4.4. This is great news for everyone that has just bought or is planning on buying any of Motorola’s 2013 phones.
If you have missed all the Android 4.4 KitKat coverage today, know that it’s a pretty substantial update that Google has announced, hence the name change from Jelly Bean. There’s lots of visual changes to the OS, including a new dialer, new way to launch Google Now, new app launcher and more. Then there’s the new memory management, which ensures that your apps run quicker and smoother than ever, and there are less hickups than you might have experienced in the past. Don’t forget that NFC has been opened up for all apps to use, and it appears that we may even be able to use Google Wallet on any device running Android 4.4 KitKat because of the new way it handles NFC transactions. If you would like an exhaustive list of all the features, check out this nearly hour-long walkthrough with a developer on the Android team. Exciting stuff is on the way for Android owners, and especially owners of these new Motorola devices. If you’ve got a Motorola phone that’s not on the above list, check out Motorola’s official upgrade page to see if your device will be receiving a future upgrade.