Google announced details of its long-awaited Android 4.4 KitKat OS (operation system) for the first time, going beyond just the candy bar branding. KitKat is designed more or less three major tent-poles Google told TechCrunch, including reaching the next billion (it previously announced 1 billion activation Android users, putting so-called Google “smarts” across the entire mobile experience, and building for what comes next in mobile devices.
Here's what you need to know about it now.
1. KitKat's not widely available yet
KitKat gets on the just-released Nexus 5. If you want to use it nowadays on an older smartphone or tablet, you're out of luck.
Google hopes that it will soon be available on the Nexus 4, 7, and 10, the Samsung Galaxy S4, and the HTC One Google Play edition in the coming weeks as an over-the-air (OTA) update. If you are running a Nexus device, you will also be able to flash the modern Android's image to your tablet or smartphone. At this time, the evening of October 31, the KitKat images aren't available. All the same, if you're an Android developer, KitKat source code is available now.
2. Better memory management
Google did more than just reduce Android's 4.x's memory footprint. "KitKat streamlines every major component to reduce memory use and introduces new APIs and tools to help you create innovative, responsive, memory-efficient applications."
3. Improved phone app
In a referred development, Google+ Hangouts, which is also more closely tied into KitKat and replaces Google Talk, includes texting, location sharing, and animated GIFs. This functionality will be available in any device running Android 4.x or higher. Eventually, Google Voice, Google's voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service, will work with this, but for now, Google Voice and new Hangouts are having trouble cooperating with each other.
4. Google Now integrated even deeper into KitKat
With Google at present, Google uses all it knows about you, which is a lot, and makes it even more a part of the Android experience. According to Google, all you have to do is say "'OK, Google' to launch voice search, send a text, get directions, or even play a song you prefer to hear". Android 4.4 is a big step forward towards making devices that are not merely touch activated, but also voice activated.
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| All things you need to know about Android 4.4: KitKat |
Here's what you need to know about it now.
1. KitKat's not widely available yet
KitKat gets on the just-released Nexus 5. If you want to use it nowadays on an older smartphone or tablet, you're out of luck.
Google hopes that it will soon be available on the Nexus 4, 7, and 10, the Samsung Galaxy S4, and the HTC One Google Play edition in the coming weeks as an over-the-air (OTA) update. If you are running a Nexus device, you will also be able to flash the modern Android's image to your tablet or smartphone. At this time, the evening of October 31, the KitKat images aren't available. All the same, if you're an Android developer, KitKat source code is available now.
2. Better memory management
Google did more than just reduce Android's 4.x's memory footprint. "KitKat streamlines every major component to reduce memory use and introduces new APIs and tools to help you create innovative, responsive, memory-efficient applications."
3. Improved phone app
In a referred development, Google+ Hangouts, which is also more closely tied into KitKat and replaces Google Talk, includes texting, location sharing, and animated GIFs. This functionality will be available in any device running Android 4.x or higher. Eventually, Google Voice, Google's voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service, will work with this, but for now, Google Voice and new Hangouts are having trouble cooperating with each other.
4. Google Now integrated even deeper into KitKat
With Google at present, Google uses all it knows about you, which is a lot, and makes it even more a part of the Android experience. According to Google, all you have to do is say "'OK, Google' to launch voice search, send a text, get directions, or even play a song you prefer to hear". Android 4.4 is a big step forward towards making devices that are not merely touch activated, but also voice activated.
All things you need to know about Android 4.4: KitKat
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Reviewed by Unknown
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