Its been over a month since Android 4.4 was officially announced, but Google has just announced what we can expect from the next version of Android alongside their unveiling of the Google Nexus 5. The new update as promised has been optimised for low-end devices and will run on devices with as low as 512MB of RAM comfortably. This is big news for affordable handsets, which are typically left out of subsequent updates due to entry level hardware.
This also unlocks the potential of Android comfortably running on wearable accessories like smart watches and smart glasses.
Google Now can be called upon by simply saying the phrase "OK Google". This will launch launch voice search, send a text, get directions or even play a song. You dont have to touch your display anymore for these tasks. Google Now also introduces several new cards on the way to make the service even more useful. These include local shopping and attractions, as well as the ability to buy movie tickets via Fandango on the spot.
 | When will my device receive Android 4.4 KitKat |
While listening to music on your device, or while projecting movies to Chromecast, you'll see beautiful full-screen album and movie art when your device is locked. You can play, pause, or seek to a specific moment.
Google has optimised Android 4.4 for better multitasking on your device, which means your older device should perform even better with the update.
The status bars and the navigation bar will fade away when you are reading a book or playing a game, allowing you to enjoy a fully immersive experience. Just swipe the edge of the screen to bring back your status bar and navigation buttons.
As promised messaging will get a huge update with Android 4.4. With the new Hangouts app, all of your SMS and MMS messages are together in the same app, alongside your other conversations and video calls. And with the new Hangouts, you can even share your location and send animated GIFs. Additionally you now have emoji support on the Google keyboard.
The new phone app automatically prioritizes your contacts based on the people you talk to the most. You can also search for nearby places and businesses, your contacts, or people in your Google Apps domain. If you receive a call from a phone number not in your contacts, your phone will look for matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps.
Now you can print photos, documents, and web pages from your phone or tablet. You can print to any printer connected to Google Cloud Print, to HP ePrint printers, and to other printers that have apps in the Google Play Store.
From apps like Quickoffice, you can open and save files on Google Drive, other cloud storage services, or your device. And with quick access to recently used files, it's easier than ever to send the file you were just working on.
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.
Android 4.4 KitKat will be available out of the box on the Google Nexus 5 which is now available for purchase, and will be available for the Google Nexus 4, Google Nexus 7, Google Nexus 10, Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition and HTC One Google Play Edition in the coming weeks.
For even more information on Android 4.4 including technical enhancements check out the source link below.
source - Android | Google