The physical details for the new Nexus phone have just about been confirmed in every detail thanks to some leaks at the FCC, but when it will launch and what features Android 4.4 – Kit Kat will bring to the table has not yet been determined. A new tip we’ve received – which we’re taking with a large grain of salt – is advising that the magic date we’re waiting for will be October 14th.
The date certainly fits in with the time frame that most people are expecting of an October announcement of the next version of Android and the new Nexus phone; and if this follows the previous years a November launch of the new Nexus phone could follow. No mention was made of an update to the Nexus 10, but it’s hoped that the successor would also be announced at any event to launch the next Nexus phone.
The tip advises that the phone appearing in the Kit Kat statue raising video is actually a ‘Nexus 5’ and the tip also contains a list of Android 4.4 ‘Kit Kat’ features.
The features apparently to be delivered in Android 4.4 include :
- Firmware availability to older phones
- Fragmentation changes (screen resizing)
- Miracast updates
- New Gallery Visualisation
- New APIs regarding animations
- Change android default blue to other preset palette colours
- New notification widgets
There have been rumours circulating of builds of what was known as ‘Key Lime Pie’ until just recently running on hardware like the Nexus S, so the ‘Firmware availability to older phones’ is an interesting one, it also fits in line with the teaser on the Android KitKat mini-site :
It’s our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody.
The decision to go from Android 4.3 to Android 4.4 indicates that there will not be a major overhaul to Android as a 5.0 upgrade would indicate, so this tip could be correct. But, rememeber: Large grain of salt until Google actually begins sending out invites to the press for an event. Till then, it’s nice to speculate.
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thank youuuu
Did I understand right? Kitkat will be compatible with old phones? Like phones buried without updates? Its would be nice!
Theoretically, yes. But the manufacturer responsible for the phone would still have to create the update and push it to your phone, which is very unlikely if your device is older than two years.
Right, but then we have awesome xda guys to port the rom for old devices 🙂
I use a (now) vintage Galaxy S with Vodafone NZ as the provider – Have never received an OS update, ever – It still runs like a greyhound tho…. maybe I’m onto something lol
I’m not holding my breath for a major overhaul of features in v4.4. Don’t know why they didn’t just keep the whole v4.0 line named ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’, like the v3.0 ‘Honeycomb’ line. Can’t wait for v5.0 and the changes that it brings! I’m going to be skipping the Nexus 5 here, my wallet cannot handle me purchasing every single Nexus so I’m going to be buying every other Nexus… I had the Nexus S, now I have the Nexus 4… Looking forward to whatever the Nexus 6 ends up being!
The individual naming of major point releases was a precedent set back in the 1.5 and 1.6 days
1.5 Cupcake, 1.6 Donut
The major point releases where it is surprising that they didn’t receive individual names are 4.2 and 4.3
So in other words, it’s whatever Google decides to do 🙂
It’s not such a bad thing the next release might only have under-the-hood changes. It means things are stable for users and app developers and sets a solid stage for a bigger e.g. “5.0” release down the track.
Awesome, I hope they keep the price tag the same as the N4, otherwise might look at other options. However this is good news.
Please for the love of God stop with this misinformation.this is not Apple and iOS. Version numbers mean NOTHING. There is tons of information on this. The Android team doesn’t even assign a version number until less than a week before announcement. 4.0 to 4.1 is no less substantial vs 3.2 to 4.0
Well, last week Google announced 4.4 KitKat. OFFICIALLY.
What misinformation are you referring to?
Last week Google announced 4.4 KitKat. OFFICIALLY.
To be tied in with a promotion with KitKat candy bars and Hershey’s/Nestles around the world.
You missed this somehow?
The part where you’re an idiot and should have read my comment before responding. I definitely know about 4.4. I’m talking about the fact that 4.4 might be the most substantial update to android we have ever seen. Just because it is 4.4 not 5.0 means NOTHING.
I read your comment. You did NOT say that. You said they did not choose version number until the week before announcement. May you meant to say something else, but I was responding to the ignorant statement you wrote. “The Android team doesn’t even assign a version number until less than a week before announcement.” Which is utterly ridiculous. Of course they knew 4.4 would follow 4.3. 5.0 would be too big a jump and break too many apps that look for “4.x”. Google has been trying to lessen fragmentation and one way to do it is stay within the… Read more »
Ummmm, 3.2 to 4.0 was significantly more substantial than 4.0 to 4.1
Latest version of Android 8.0 is available in following companies phones http://www.techmaniya.in/4k-ultra-hd-quad-hd-display-mobiles/
When trying to sledge the author of everyone’s favourite Android News website, please consider the following: 1) Get your facts right! and 2) Keep it polite.
Keeping to these simple steps, should prevent you from getting Owned by other readers without the Author lifting a finger.
Love these kind of articles, wets the appetite even if the details aren’t confirmed yet!
There’s tons of informarion about this that you obviously haven’t read!
Are you people really that thick? I’m talking about version numbers. I read about Android news daily have had 6 different android devices over the past 4 years. I know what I’m talking about. However, I am now done with this site and it’s stupid users.
Would be really cool to see this available
So i guess that means that the note 3 wont come with it at launch?
Of course not, 4.3 is the latest for now, and that’s what Note 3 will come with. Even Samsung can’t work the magic to put on an Android version that even Nexus devices just got a couple of weeks back 😛
Probably the most exciting feature for me is “Change android default blue to other preset palette colours”. Personally I found running cyanogenmod on every android phone I owned got a bit boring because of that blue and black colour scheme and no easy way to modify it. I would actually love to see Google go down Apple’s route this time and make the UI reflect the wallpaper choice or something similar.
I have switched away from my Nexus 4 to an iPhone temporarily while waiting for the next nexus model to arrive. I couldn’t deal without LTE.
What 21mbps wasn’t enough ? My home connection is 8mbps my iphone 5… 21mbps enough. Regret selling my Htc one x android best.
it wasn’t the speed – although that does help when tethering – but more the latency / ping times. 19ms on 4G vs 185ms on 3G.
Lower ping = faster page loading, regardless of the speeds.
This is what I want 4G for. Ping times
Same here, ping defines any network experience.
How are you getting such a high ping on 3g? surely that has to be different conditions.
185ms on 3G? Not sure where you are and how the 3G networks perform there, but Melbourne Metro on Boost on my Nexus 4 consistently gives me 35ms to 50ms with the speedtest app.
There’s loads of awful themes, there’s also loads of simple themes that just change the colour palette, nothing more.
CyanogenMod themes not easy enough for you?
Easy? Sure.
Look Good? Not usually.
So downloading a theme from the play store and applying it is to difficult? Is breathing difficult for you geez how were you ever able to root your phone with that mentality!
Difficult? No. But the themes look like crap. Like some 14 year old pirated photoshop and wants to add as many bezels, fake metal patterns and glowing effects that they can.
I would like to be able to change the hue that the whole system uses, nothing more. I want the android look and feel in my own colour of choice.
The free themes are definitely crap, but if you look around a little bit you can find some pretty amazing themes for under $2.
The most exciting feature for you is a change of colors… really? OMG I don’t even consider this a feature, it’s such a little tiny addition that should not even be mentioned on such a short list.