KitKat 4.4 |

HTC One X+ and One X will not get Android Jelly Bean 4.3 update

January 13, 2014 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

HTC has been updating their One range to Android KitKat 4.4, but it looks like the previous generation of devices will not be getting any more updates and the HTC One X and One X+ will stay on Android Jelly Bean 4.1 or Android 4.2, depending on the region.

The HTC One X and One X+ were part of the line that started HTCs downfall, before those devices the Taiwanese mobile maker was on top form, but the devices failed to land any significant market share, compared to the iPhone and Samsung’s Android choices.

Since then we have had the HTC One and HTC One Max and the new plan is to make one smartphone for each category, instead of making three similar sized smartphones for three different price points.

The HTC One X+ was a push on the original HTC One X, it had some new features but the same design. We are surprised HTC is not even updating this to the last version of Jelly Bean, considering it would not take a lot of resources to develop the UI and send the update.

HTC announced the news and said while they do apologise to any users effected, they should know both devices have been optimised to have incredible camera and audio features. The audio features are true but we feel like HTC has never been great when it comes to cameras, even with the Ultrapixel.

One of the good things about HTC is their developer openness, for anyone who can download CyanogenMod, the HTC One X and HTC One X+ can be updated straight to Android KitKat 4.4 and it doesn’t need to have Sense UI.

Galaxy S4 firmware leaked running Android KitKat 4.4

January 10, 2014 By Nicholas Anderton Leave a Comment

Samsung has a record of adding new updates to their previous flagship device, right after they announce the new flagship to replace it. The Galaxy S4 firmware has just leaked running Android KitKat 4.4, the latest version of the OS, pointing towards a release sometime soon.

The leaked firmware update is for the European version of the Galaxy S4 and has been sent to SamMobile, from an inside source in the company. According to the testers, the leaked firmware is pretty stable, apart from a few bugs here and there.

Changes on the Android KitKat 4.4 version of TouchWiz seem minimal, Samsung has removed most of the light green icons and replaced them with white, to match the new aesthetic for Android 4.4.

There is a new camera icon on the lock-screen that the user can open, similar to iOS and stock Android. Samsung has also worked on the keyboard in landscape mode, since the original was not optimised and looked rather glitchy.

Early testers have said the firmware update does perform better than it did previously. Google had a lot of optimisation and made sure Android KitKat 4.4 could run on less power, two reason for the big boost in performance when smartphones get the update.

Other than that, there is nothing that has really changed, Samsung is keeping the same aesthetic in most places. This may just be a pre-build for the Galaxy S5 and Samsung may announce new features when they launch their next flagship.

The leakers did not say when the Galaxy S4 will be getting Android KitKat 4.4, we suspect it will be sometime in the next few months, probably a month or two after the Galaxy S5 has been announced and new features are available.

HTC One, Max and Mini all grabbing Android 4.4.2 before March

January 2, 2014 By Mary Duncan Leave a Comment

The consistency of updates from HTC is becoming impressive, from one update for most devices and two updates for very popular ones, HTC has now moved to making all devices worth upgrading and has started making sure all devices get updated much faster than they did previously.

All three of the major devices HTC has out right now, including the One, One Max and One Mini, will be grabbing the latest version of Android KitKat 4.4. Since the update will happen over the air, the company says the update will arrive between now and the end of February.

A spokesperson for HTC did say the One and One Max would be updated to KitKat and we believe the Evo 4G will be updated sometime soon. This may be the last update for the HTC One, as the next generation flagship is set to be announced at either CES or MWC.

The Android KitKat update brings a whole host of optimisation to the operating system, but to a user level the major changes are more Google Now functionality, immersion mode for apps, Hangouts integration with SMS and caller prioritisation.

Sadly the new update does not come with a new version of Sense, although HTC has updated the skin for Android KitKat 4.4. We believe the first look at Sense 6.0 will be at CES or MWC, when the company reveals the successor to the HTC One, possibly the HTC Two.

HTC is not the only company working hard to get updates out faster, Motorola has started bringing updates to the Moto X faster than some Nexus devices and both Samsung and Sony have been making sure their highest selling smartphones get quicker updates.

All of this brings more consumer confidence when it comes to picking up an Android device – if you know it will still be viable in two years, it is easy to pen in a two year contract.

Android 4.4 KitKat coming on LG G2 sometime in Q1 2014

December 16, 2013 By Nicholas Anderton Leave a Comment

LG has given its first announcement on the LG G2 software, revealing that Android 4.4 KitKat will be available on the current flagship before the end of Q1 2014. Currently the LG G2 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the second iteration of the Jelly Bean OS.

The LG G2 launched on August 2013 and has not had any major firmware updates. LG did not seem to be willing to jump onto Android 4.3, skipping the update entirely and for a while it looked like the LG G2 would not get Android 4.4 KitKat either.

Android 4.3 was mainly changes to Bluetooth and other back-end changes, but it did have some new front end features for users. Android 4.4 is a more collective update, but Google has made this out for all low-end devices, making sure it can be optimised for devices with just 512MB of RAM.

We are not surprised the LG G2 will get this update, Samsung and HTC have announced their plans to update top-end devices to Android 4.4 and if LG didn’t follow suit they may lose a few buyers, especially long term buyers who may worry about grabbing another LG device.

The question is will the LG G2 get any long term updates, the smartphone has only been out for six months and this is the first scheduled update, but LG have been pretty poor when it comes to supporting their high-end devices for more than a year.

Google will probably announce the next update to their OS in April at Google I/O 2014, we wonder if LG will latch onto this update for the LG G2 or if Android 4.4 KitKat is the last update we will see on the current flagship.

Considering the LG G3 may be announced before Google I/O, we really would be cautious if you are looking to have the LG G2 for more than two years. The phone may be an ace on the battery life right now, but if Android 4.4 KitKat is the last update, it may be a little rendudant next year.

Sony Xperia Z1 to get Android 4.3 coming soon, KitKat 4.4 coming next year

December 12, 2013 By Mary Duncan 2 Comments

Sony is preparing to launch the next version of Android onto their latest flagship, the Xperia Z1. The smartphone has been stuck on Android 4.2.2 since its launch and Sony is finally preparing to give users their last taste of Jelly Bean, before shipping to KitKat next year.

The Android 4.3 update has passed through the testing system, meaning it will be coming onto the Xperia Z1 in the upcoming weeks, possibly before Christmas. This is exciting for anyone who has an Xperia Z1, as it means restricted profiles and Bluetooth Smart, amongst other Sony features.

Sony will be adding Android 4.3 to more than one device, they are looking to add it to the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP and the Xperia Z Ultra. The Xperia Z Ultra has just been added to the Google Play edition list as well, with Android KitKat 4.4 already available.

The updating will not stop there, Sony is going to be prudent when it comes to keeping everything updated. The first smartphones to grab KitKat 4.4 will be the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1, although we have no solid date.

Sony has been a little unimpressive when it comes to keeping their Android devices updated, especially on the low-end. Some devices Sony release on the low-end get no updates in their lifetime and Sony only releases firmware changes, which is a sad case of affairs.

In the past few years the Japanese company has started to get better at making sure all devices grab at least one update and seeing the Xperia Z on the list of Android KitKat 4.4 devices is a good thing, meaning it has jumped all the way through Jelly Bean into KitKat.

Sony is preparing to release Android KitKat 4.4 on some of the devices at the same time as its Xperia Z2 launch, around February. We believe that Sony will launch the Xperia Z2 at MWC 2014.

Nexus 5 Review: The Stock Google Experience

November 15, 2013 By Daniel Giordano Leave a Comment

Google has pushed out the Nexus brand for developers ever since the inception, but the phones, tablets and other gizmos have become increasing popular with regular users who don’t develop on Android or work for an app/web development studio.

The cheap price is the main reason for the vast majority of new buyers and Google has moved the Nexus 7 into the everyday tablet device, advertising it on TV and on the web as the perfect device to use Google services and content.

LG Nexus 5

The LG Nexus 5 announcement was so quiet most thought it was just another rumor, until all tech news sites started showing the phone off and releasing news about the device.

Google decided not to hold an event, make a big announcement or even show off the Nexus, it just simply arrived on the Google Play store with the latest version of Android, KitKat 4.4 and a host of accessories custom to the new device.

Google decided to go with the same manufacturer and this time they grabbed a load of assets from the LG G2, instead of developing a smartphone different from the competition, this move may annoy some users who dislike the design of the LG G2.

Design

Looking at the Nexus 5 from the front, it wouldn’t be a shock to think it was the LG G2. Google has slapped the same design on the front, complete with the thin side-bezels and no physical buttons. The two give aways are the side buttons on the Nexus 5 and the white microphone grill on the white unit.

Turning it onto the back makes the phone stand out, instead of the two back buttons and camera in the center of the device, the Nexus 5 has quite a large sensor sitting in the corner of the smartphone, which extrudes a little making it a target for scuffs.

The design of the smartphone depends on the color, the black version comes with a matte finish on the back and the sides, but the white version has plastic side-accents. Google has added ceramic buttons that are tough and feel rooted into the smartphone, adding to the quality of the device.

Google has went with the crowd on the display, opting for a five-inch 1080p display similar to most smartphones on the market right now. The display is gorgeous as most 1080p screens are but there is one complaint from almost all reviews, colors seem a little washed out on the panel.

Another minor complaint is the speaker on the device, similar to the iPhone, there is only one mono-speaker on the Nexus 5 and it doesn’t sound very good. Even at the highest volume, the speaker just doesn’t work very well – headphones are the obvious way to cancel this problem.

The camera on the Nexus 5 is almost always a poor experience, OIS helps the users from getting blurry photos but the images are just not as good as some of the rival cameras. Taking a photo in good lighting can work out, but getting into darker areas or even where the camera has to try and grab a good shot, it just under-performs.

Performance

The Nexus 5 runs the stock version of Android and complete with the Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM, it just runs smooth as butter on almost every single application, apart from the camera app that takes a few seconds to load.

Google has added several performance enhancements over the course of the year to Android and without a heavy skin like TouchWiz or Sense on top, the phone just runs incredibly fast and powers through games and applications.

On the battery life side the Nexus 5 doesn’t outperform any of the current flagship smartphones and in some cases it can be one of the worst. Google decided to put a 2300mAh battery inside and some days it can do 10-12 hours and others it can do 5-8 hours.

Software

Google has shipped the latest version of Android, KitKat 4.4, onto the Nexus 5 and it brings a few new design enhancements alongside a small feature-list of changes and new applications for users.

On the design front Google has worked on making everything more transparent and stripped away the old blue and black. This is a redesign change we have been seeing across Google’s services, changing every service to look cleaner and more consistent.

Google Now is a swipe left away, instead of a hard press down on the touchscreen. It is a nice touch and Google has added plenty of functionality to the personal assistant service, with more cards and extra integration with Google services.

Hangouts is now tied into actual SMS messaging, mimicking the iMessage service Apple developed for all iOS users. Google has also added various new APIs, including some new NFC features for developers and manufacturers to use, even if the phone does not have an NFC chip.

Overall the software update feels like a bigger upgrade than the past three Jelly Bean updates and has some big features developers and manufacturers can take advantage of in the longer term.

Overall

The Nexus 5 is an incredible smartphone for the price, at $399 for the 16GB model and $449 for 32GB, it is still around $200 cheaper than the Galaxy S4 and HTC One, two of the most well loved Android rivals.

Our problem is we cannot see the market for this type of device – it is an impressive sell for its cost, but most grab phones on contract and the HTC One and iPhone 5S looks like a more well packaged deal, without the camera and battery life issues.

We would recommend the device to anyone who loves stock Android and developers, but to everyday users it may be better to search around and possibly look at spending an extra $100/200 on a smartphone that has everything covered.

Galaxy Nexus owners start petition for Android KitKat 4.4 update

November 6, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

Disgruntled Galaxy Nexus owners have decided to band together, to try and make Google reverse their decision to not add Android KitKat 4.4 on the two year old Nexus device. A new petition has been added on Change.org, asking Google to add the new OS update to the Galaxy Nexus.

The Galaxy Nexus was the a big leap forward for Google, it was the first smartphone to run Ice Cream Sandwich, a big leap forward from the current leader Gingerbread 2.3.6. Google had made the device to show off the capabilities of Android and many developers and fans bought into the smartphone.

After the Nexus 4 came on the scene, the Galaxy Nexus was quickly shipped away into the bin but Google supported it on the Jelly Bean launch with the Nexus 4. It is just up until the recent Android KitKat 4.4 update that Google has thrown away support for the device.

This may not be down to Google, who the petition want answers from, especially Sundar Pichai, the leader of Android and Chrome. Texas Instruments developed the processor for the Galaxy Nexus and since they have stepped out of the mobile processor business they have not issued new drivers for the device.

Without this key element, Google cannot add the Galaxy Nexus Android KitKat 4.4 support. The petition may show the vast amount of Galaxy Nexus members wanting the upgrade, but unless Google can send this to TI and get them to build the drivers, the update is unlikely to happen.

In the harsh world of chucking out a device after two years, the Galaxy Nexus is a sore burn. It is odd to think that only next year Google may make the Nexus 4 obsolete, a device that is still powerful and capable of running almost all applications fast.

This comes back to the old argument about support vs device capabilities – in some cases, a device can run on the newest software five years after its launch, but smartphones, especially Androids, seem to have a very low support lifespan, either due to carriers and manufacturers not bothering to update the device or the lack of core capabilities to run the newest update.

HTC One will be getting Android KitKat 4.4 in 90 days

November 1, 2013 By David Leave a Comment

HTC has never been one of the best for adding updates to their premium handsets, but in the past few months the company has rolled out some pretty significant updates in quick succession, including the HTC One and some other devices getting the Android 4.3 update.

This time, HTC has not skipped a beat and announced every HTC One will be getting Android KitKat 4.4 in 90 days. This is a bold move by HTC, who now have to live up to the expectation and deliver the update before the end of January.

Normally with an Android handset the smartphone maker has to make changes to their UI skin first, making everything compatible with the update. It is then pushed to the carriers, who then add their junk to the system and it is then pushed to the user, after getting verified by Google.

This is a lengthy process and can be the reason users don’t get their update for several months. Sometimes Google will not accept certain changes to the UI and sometimes carriers will decide not to push out the update because of the size or customisations that may not favor their apps.

The HTC One is still the flagship device and continues to sell well, despite HTC’s poor third quarter. The HTC One Max and HTC One Mini will also be getting the Android KitKat 4.4 update within the next few months, making the whole brand updated until the next big Android update.

Android KitKat 4.4 does bring some notable changes, most importantly the ability to run smoothly on devices with as little as 512MB of RAM. In a time where 3GB of RAM is starting to become a thing, we are glad to see Google downscaling for the budget end community.

The new update also offering more battery life due to low-energy sensors and a less heavy OS. Google has added SMS into Hangouts and also added a fitness app to track walking.

Google unleashed Android KitKat 4.4, here are some changes

October 31, 2013 By David Crozier Leave a Comment

Google has announced their newest update to Android, named KitKat 4.4, the slight number change from 4.3 makes it seem like another small update, but this is one of the first UI design changes in a while and adds some impressive features to take on Windows Phone 8 and iOS7.

The user interface changes include more transparency on some widgets and tiles and an overhaul on making different layers look consistent. This means widgets and overlay looks connected to the background and does not obscure other information.

The biggest feature in the long term is KitKat’s ability to run on almost every smartphone on the planet. Google has said KitKat 4.4 can run on smartphones with as little as 512MB of RAM and has worked on optimising every application on the platform to run smoothly.

Google has added new API’s for third parties to work on their apps for lower end smartphones. Android is obviously making waves in Asia and other places where low-end devices rule the roost, it is quite obvious this new change is in line with their new markets.

Features on KitKat include Host Card Emulation, a new NFC transactions platform allowing users to make payments, invest in loyalty programs, buy transit passes, and use other services. This is a big move by Google considering the Wallet failure in the US, perhaps this will be more widely adopted.

Google Cloud Print has now been added onto Android, allowing users to print off webpages and other third party application pages that utilise this technology. This is another move by Google to add their closed infrastructure to the platform.

Battery life is also a big focus, Google has added low power sensors and other APIs to make sure when a user isn’t doing anything the smartphone isn’t overloading with information and consuming a lot of battery life, this may lead to longer standby time on Android phones.

Google is also moving into the fitness program with a step counter and step detector. These two apps allow users to monitor their daily movements and the UI looks quite basic, we wonder if this is a hint at the Nexus smartwatch we have heard a little bit about recently.

LG Nexus 5 hardware specs leaked on Wind Mobile website

October 29, 2013 By Daniel Giordano Leave a Comment

As the days grow closer to the official Nexus 5 announcement, we are starting to see more leaks come out surrounding the smartphone. The newest leak comes from Wind Mobile’s website, where a promotional page came up for the Nexus 5.

Previous leaks pointed at the three main Canadian carriers grabbing the Nexus 5 and it looks like Wind Mobile will also be getting Google’s newest smartphone. In the US we may see T-Mobile and AT&T picking up the cheap smartphone.

On the Wind Mobile pre-registration page users got a good look at all of the new Nexus 5 specs, most match previous leaks on the device. The Nexus 5 will have a 4.95-inch 1080p display, 8MP OIS rear camera, Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB internal storage, WiFi ac, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0.

The battery specs are not disclosed on the promotional page, but we have already heard about the 2400mAh battery sealed into the Nexus 5. There may be a second 32GB Nexus 5 coming with a larger 3000mAh battery, however some leakers believe this is a false claim.

We already knew all of the specs and this is just a continuation on the pattern. According to new reports, the Nexus 5 will be available on October 31 or November 1. Google is set to hold an event on one of the two days, preferably November 1, after Halloween.

Google will also announce the next version of Android, KitKat 4.4, set to come with new optimisation for cheaper devices and a rework on the design side. We still cannot see this being a huge overhaul on the operating system, but another small update to the platform.

We are also likely to see the second generation Nexus 10 make an appearance, set to come with the same display but a new design and updated internals similar to the Nexus 5. Other than that, Google is apparently developing a TV and video game console and a smartwatch, these could both be revealed at the event.