Android 4.4 KitKat is official: new launcher, made to run on low-end devices

All that we've been hearing about Google's new Android version, 4.4 KitKat, panned out, as the new version is indeed weeded out so it can run on devices with as low as 512 MB of RAM comfortably. This is big news for affordable handsets, which are typically left out of subsequent updates due to the lowly hardware, and will make Android appear on much more devices, too, like smart watch wearables, for instance.

Other backroom improvements are the new sensor batching technology that cuts on sensor power consumption by grouping and prioritizing their requests, something that probably has to do with the keyword-evoked voice search, that Google claims is now 25% more accurate, and asks back for clarification. In addition, we get new wireless printing functionality with Android 4.4 KitKat, which supports HP gear for now.



We get a new lock screen with a camera shortcut and the ability to rearrange homescreens, plus the system is getting a new white/gray color scheme and fonts. The stock keyboard flaunts emoji support, and the People app has received a grand update, too, allowing you to search across contacts, different accounts and even local businesses, despite that you don't have them in the phone book. The Hangouts app is also updated to include threaded conversation that folds your text, IM and MMS messages with a single contact in one.

Last but not least of the big changes are happening with the Google Now voice operated assistant, which can be evoked at any time with a swipe from the new launcher's homescreen, and asked to do a bunch of things in a casual way, with a lot of new cards on the way to make the service even more useful, pitched Google. These include local shopping and attractions, as well as the ability to buy movie tickets via Fandango on the spot.

Android 4.4 KitKat is available right now if you manage to snatch a Nexus 5, and rolling in a few weeks to Nexus 4, 7, 10, Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One Google Play edition. Stay tuned for our full roundup of all the new KitKat features, and enjoy some dev talk explaining them in the meantime in the video below.



source: Google