Google’s new and improved Android KitKat 4.4 just hit the streets a week ago today with the launch of their newest flagship smartphone, the highly anticipated, Nexus 5. Although excited about Google’s new Android, people were somewhat disappointed when Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie (KLP) was bypassed for KitKat 4.4 – after all, how much really could have improved going from Android 4.3 Jelly Bean to Android 4.4 KitKat? Well, as we are learning, Google packed a lot into that, seemingly, incremental upgrade:
- Increased Battery Life
- Improved Dialer w/Caller ID
- Adding Built-in Functions for Easier App Design
- Bluetooth is Greatly Improved with MAP Support and Volume Controls, HID over GATT Profiles for Connection with Low-Powered Devices
- Google Now Improvements
- Enhanced Performance – with Optimized Memory, More Accurate Touchscreen, Works on Devices with only 512K of RAM, etc.
- NFC – Google Wallet can Work Without Secure NFC Chip
- IR Blaster has Native Support
- And so Much More
Never one to sit on their laurels, it seems that our friends at myce.com have news that Google is already working on their first upgrade, Android 4.4.1 KitKat. It seems that an “attentive Google employee” may have revealed this new, KOT31B, build of KitKat. Apparently it appeared in the Chromium issue tracker and was originally marked Restrict-View for Google employees only, but later the label was removed.
According to myce, starting with Cupcake, individual builds have been designated with short build codes like KOT31B. The build code allows Google to identify what and where the build is coming from, for instance, the first letter “K” is for KitKat, the “T” means Q4 2013, and so on. This means the build is being released very soon and we may see it before the end of the year. We still do not know if this is a bug fix or simply enhancing more features – for that we will have to wait until it is released, or until we get another leak.
New versions of operating systems are often subject to a few bugs, but so far, this Android 4.4 KitKat is relatively bug free, with no loud complaints of any problems so far. As more and more Nexus owners get their phones, more “field testing” can then be done. In the meantime, the rest of us jealous Android 4.3 Jelly Bean owners will have to sit on the sidelines and wait for our upgrade.
Let us know in the comments or on Google+ what you think about Google’s newest release.