The announcement of the Nexus 5 isn’t the only Google news this week. The company has also dished out Android 4.4 KitKat details, confirming that the new phone will be coming with it already installed.
So what does the KitKat update actually bring? The highlight of the package is increased compatibility with lower-end Android handsets. As the company writes on its blog, Android’s memory footprint has been ‘slimmed down’, removing some background services and cutting down on the amount of memory some of the more essential features take up. This helps the new OS run on devices with as little as 512MB of RAM.
The Phone app has also seen an update, adding searchable contacts and directories into other Google apps. An immersive mode will now hide distractions on your phone’s screen while you read a book or watch a movie, and the upgraded Hangouts app integrates text messages and video calls.
That’s all the Android 4.4 KitKat details we have for you. It comes packed inside the Nexus 5 and will be hitting the Nexus 4, 7 and 10 in due course. The Google Play Editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One will also receive the update ‘in the coming weeks’.
