Not letting T-Mobile subscribers have all the fun, Google has released the factory image and binaries for Android 4.4.3 today. These tools apply to the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013) and WiFi Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and WiFi Nexus 7 (2012) models.
Today, T-Mobile announced that its Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 devices will be making the jump to Android 4.4.3. Available now, these small software patches are rolling out to the carrier’s versions of Google’s latest purebred Android gadgets, but they can be installed manually if patience isn’t your strong suit. To start the update process, tap All Apps, Settings, About device and Software update. Once installed, your Nexus 5 should reflect software version KTU84M. If you’ve also invested in last year’s Nexus 7, just repeat the process and your tablet’s software version should display as KTU84L upon completion.
Sony today released Android 4.4 KitKat for some of its Xperia line of devices, including the Z, ZL, ZR, and Tablet Z. The update is rolling out based on location, as well as by carrier, so it may still be some time before you see the update notification on your particular device.
The release includes the performance optimizations and tweaks found in stock Android 4.4, but also carries various Sony enhancements.
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Five months after Google released Android 4.4 KitKat, Galaxy Note 3 users on Verizon are beginning to see the update being pushed out over the air. Various people are reporting that they have received the the update on their devices. The update includes various changes and small tweaks to the user interface, as well as enhancements to the software stack to make the device more stable and perform better.
If you’d like to grab the update, start pressing that “check for updates” button, or connect your device to the nearest computer with Kies installed on it, and get downloading.
If you’re a Sprint customer still rocking a Samsung Galaxy S3, you’ll be glad to know that Android 4.4 is on its way. Today, the carrier is rolling out a new software push for the legacy smartphone, but warns customers that it may take several days for the update to reach every Galaxy S3 on its network. Sprint’s changelog didn’t provide many details about this new release, only noting that software version L710VPUCND8 will bump the handset up to KiKat.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Android 4.4, you can expect a snappier performance, improved memory management, translucent status bars, and a snazzy immersive mode that puts a device in a fullscreen view. If you haven’t received an over-the-air notification, you can try to manually initiate the update process by tapping Settings> System Update> Update Samsung Software> Check Now.
Remember, all updates aren’t created equally, so if you’ve already pulled down this new software, be sure to let us know how it’s treating you and your GS3.
(via Sprint)
With the release of Samsung’s Galaxy S5, it was clear that the company had decided against reinventing the wheel. The Galaxy S line has been evolving for quite some time now, and more than ever, the smallest refinements make the biggest difference.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to really put the Galaxy S5 through its paces. This flagship device may seem like a minor update from the outside, but as always, it’s important to not judge a book by its cover.
Sprint customers rocking the LG Flex will start receiving an over-the-air notification advising of an update for their device. Not just a generic carrier update, this new software push will advance the curved smartphone to Android 4.4 KitKat. Sprint says the update will be rolling out in stages and may take several days to hit all of its customers.
If you’ve yet to receive any notifications and would like to try to help the update along, you can manually check for the software by tapping: Settings> Systems updates> Update LG software> Check now. If the update is available for your device, you’ll receive a download prompt. If not, you’ve waited this long, a few more days probably won’t kill you.
Update: Not to let Sprint customers have all the fun, T-Mobile is now rolling out KitKat to its LG G Flex users.
(via Sprint)
Last week, international Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition owners started sinking their teeth into KitKat and today it’s Verizon’s turn. An over-the-air update for Big Red’s 2014 version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 is slowly starting to trickle out to customers sporting Samsung’s slab. In addition to KitKat, the new software push ships with a few bug fixes. Highlights include: a more stable S Note widget and Chrome’s tab bar no longer flickers when in portrait mode.
If you’re new to Android 4.4, you can expect to gain Google Cloud Print support, faster multitasking and Immersive Mode, which automatically provides full screen viewing. If you’ve already managed to pull down this new software, be sure to let us know how it’s treating you and your tablet by sharing your experience with us in our comment section below.
(via Verizon)
Android 4.4.2 is now available for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, according to multiple media outlets and users. As of now, the software update is only available to the WiFi model of the device, but the 3G and LTE models are expected to follow suit. As a refresher, KitKat introduces features like cloud printing, immersive mode, updated status bar and an overall performance boost.
OnePlus has officially unveiled its first flagship device. The OnePlus One carries flagship specifications, but you won’t have to break the bank to get it. The device will be available starting at $299 for the Silk White 16GB model, and $349 for the Sandstone Black 64GB model.
The OnePlus One packs a 5.5-inch LTPS IPS with TOL 1080p display, 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 3,100mAh battery, a 5MP front-facing camera, and a 13MP rear camera. The device has a magnesium frame, giving the device a total weight of 162 grams. OnePlus claims this is the “lightest 5.5-inch phone in the world.”
If you happened to pick up a Moto X from the Sprint-fueled MVNO Republic Wireless, your device’s Android 4.4.2 update is rolling out today. Members of the carrier’s forums have confirmed that the 349.3MB update is in the wild and that it includes a new dialer and an updated Hangouts app — not the new one though. The software push appears to be over-the-air, but trying to manually update your device through its settings menu probably won’t hurt.
If you happen to pull down this new OS, be sure to let us know how it’s treating you and your Moto X.
While handling some customer support, the Google Nexus Twitter account has apparently tweeted out a screenshot of a redesigned Dialer app by accident. The interface does not look all that different. The most noticeable change is that the action bar at the top of the interface blue in the leaked screenshot, whereas it is gray in the most recent build of KitKat.
Changing the action bar from gray to blue fits with Google’s recent trend of beautifying all of its apps with more color. We’ve seen more colorful Android app icons leak in recent weeks, in addition to a redesigned Gmail app and Calendar app.
Google is putting its focus back on design with the latest version of Android and at this year’s Google I/O. It would certainly make sense to introduce app redesigns at the event, too. And it looks like we can expect a new Dialer app to be one.
AT&T has just announced that it will update its variant of the LG G Flex to Android 4.4.2 tomorrow, April 17th. The update includes all the features we’ve come to expect in a KitKat update.
After updating, you should see a new full-screen “immersive” mode, as well as restyled notification and navigation areas. Battery performance should also drastically improve with the update, as should general OS performance, or so says AT&T. Other new features include cloud printing, Tap & Pay for NFC payments, the ability to choose a default SMS app, colored emoji support, and improved music controls from the lock screen.
The update comes in at 686MB and will begin to rollout tomorrow. You can check for the update by heading into Settings>General>About phone>Software update>Update now.
Google has released KitKat for Glass, following the announcement of the update yesterday. Included in this update are various tweaks to improve battery life and performance, as well as various new features. Notably, Google removed video calls in this update, though other additions to Hangouts were made, such as the ability to send photos.
The KitKat update — known as XE 16 — requires XE 12.1 to be installed, so you’ll have to install both to get the sweet KitKat features. The update rolls out even as Google today offered Glass to anyone interested in shelling out $1,500.
The consumer version of Glass is expected to be released later this year, and the KitKat update is a major step towards bringing the platform in line with Google’s Android efforts. Further announcements are expected at Google I/O 2014.
Google has officially announced via Google+ that Glass will be receiving KitKat later this week. Google is promising improved battery life and enhanced reliability, which will be welcome news to Explorers. Additionally, this update supposedly makes Glass easier to update in the future, which should help the device keep up-to-date with Android releases. Besides these under-the-hood enhancements, Google is adding various new features to the platform in this XE16 KitKat update.
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Supposed specs for LG’s upcoming flagship smartphone were spotted on Sprint’s internal device database by MyLGPhones (via PhoneArena). The upcoming G3, internally known as the LG LS990, will have a 1440×2560 display — that’s four times 720p, which is considered HD, and twice the resolution of current flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8). All of those pixels will be in a panel that is rumored to be 5.3 inches, making for roughly 530 pixels-per-inch — almost double the dots-per-inch of photos and text in magazines.
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Samsung has just announced its newest Galaxy smartphone, the Ace Style. The new phone includes a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, a 5 MP rear camera, and a 4-inch display.
The device also ships with 4 GB of internal storage and support for up to 64 GB microSD cards. In terms of memory, it includes half a gigabyte of RAM. Samsung’s custom Android skin, TouchWiz Essence, will run on top of KitKat, the latest version of Android.
The Galaxy Ace Style will be available later this month in gray and white. Samsung hasn’t provided any pricing details yet.
As it does at the beginning of every month, Google has just updated the Android Distribution data to reflect data collected during a 7-day period ending on April 1, 2014. Notable this time around is that Android 4.4 KitKat usage more than doubled, rising from 2.5 percent last month to 5.3 percent. Of course, that’s still a very small percentage of the total user base, but growing by double in a month signals that KitKat updates are finally starting to make their way to the masses.
With the rise in KitKat usage came a slight decline in Jelly Bean numbers from an even 62 percent to 61.4 percent . Ice Cream Sandwich declined to 14.3 percent from 15.2 percent last month, while Gingerbread continued to slow demise, going from 19 percent to 17.8 percent.
With this new data, 81 percent of all devices are now running a version of Android 4.0 or greater. This seems respectable, but it’s important to note that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was originally unveiled all the way back in 2011. So it’s apparent that Google can still do even more to improve the Android update progress. But things are improving and that’s what matters.
It looks like Android 4.4.3 will be starting to roll out to devices running KitKat soon, according to Phandroid. The update is said to include a fix for a camera-related bug that can cause the phone’s battery to drain faster than usual. The new version reportedly has a build number of KTU72B.
We’ve also spotted an increasing number of devices running 4.4.3 visiting 9to5Google over the past few days, so it’s safe to say this update is coming quite soon.
Sony announced today on its mobile blog that the rollout of Android 4.4 KitKat for a few of its new devices has officially kicked off. That means that Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1, and Xperia Z1 Compact owners can expect the upgrade soon, although we’ve yet to get reports that the update is available. As always, the timeframe for the update hitting your device will vary by market and carrier.
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZLvv0q8ltw]
Samsung today published two new YouTube videos detailing its latest products. The first video runs through just about every imaginable feature of the new Galaxy Gear devices, from fitness applications to customizing the interface, to Android smartphone integration and, you know, checking the time.
A second video, embedded below the break, shows off the company’s Galaxy S5 smartphone. This video recounts the various specs and statistics that most smartphone buyers are familiar with before jumping into a breakdown of the phone’s form factor and design (GOLD IS BEST!).
Google has just updated its Android Distribution numbers on its Developers site to reflect the 7-day period ended March 3rd. The data shows growth for both KitKat and Jelly Bean, with Android 4.4 KitKat jumping up from 1.8% in February to 2.5% this month and all versions of Jelly Bean getting a slight bump as well (a combined 62% up from 60.7% last month). Increases come at the expense of drops in distribution numbers for most older versions of Android in addition to new KitKat and Jelly Bean devices hitting the market.
You can view all of Google’s Android distribution umbers for March here and last month’s numbers for comparison here.
Nvidia announced today that it will be releasing a new version of its Tegra Note 7 tablet that will include its i500 LTE model for 4G LTE cellular connectivity. The non-LTE version hasn’t exactly been a big seller, but it’s a welcomed update on a decent 7-inch tablet option that the company is still marketing as “the world’s fastest 7-inch Android tablet.”
The Tegra NOTE 7 serves up a bundle of cutting-edge mobile technologies – including one of the world’s fastest processors, Tegra 4, a superb stylus, exceptional audio, Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), and, of course, great NVIDIA gaming. And that’s at a starting price of just $199. Now, we’re added lightning-fast mobile data to the mix. Tegra NOTE 7 is available with LTE and HSPA+ mobile connectivity, and it can operate on popular carriers across the world.
The new LTE version will arrive in Q2 for $299 and Nvidia is also rolling out KitKat updates to its entire Note 7 family and releasing the tablets in new markets in Western Europe, Brazil, and Ukraine.
As the clock continues to click away to January 1st, we’re taking a look at our last top 9to5Google subject post of 2013. This time around we’ve saved the best for last as we look back at the last year in Android and the top 5 most read stories as determined by you, the 9to5Google reader. Perhaps the inevitable news is that 3 out of 5 or 60% of the top stories surround KitKat and its release. There were quite a few happenings in Android this year, but none more notable than the launch of the latest version of Android which has long been known as Key Lime Pie. Ultimately, Google decided on KitKat and announced the release with a partnership with the KitKat candy bar…which is exactly our kind of partnership. Facebook took its own stab at Android this year with Facebook Home and the HTC First, a story we’ll get to a little later on. I think it’s safe to call 2013 more of an evolutionary year in Android more so than revolutionary, but still another year where the platform surged in growth and adoption.