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Everything About Android Kitkat 4.4 (Don't Miss)

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 01 November 2013 0 komentar

Android 4.4 KitKat to Target Wearables, Ease Fragmentation, and Improve Support for NFC and Lower End Devices

The Google Nexus 5 is so close that we can almost taste its KitKat-laden goodness. But while the device itself has been leaked nine ways ’til Tuesday, relatively little has come to light about the device’s OS, Android 4.4 KitKat. We’ve seen a few leaked images here and there, but we’ve not heard much about the key changes differentiating KitKat from the incumbent Jelly Bean. Now, Amir Efranti, over at JessicaLessin.com has managed to geta closer look at the OS.

Fragmentation

So what are the biggest changes this time around? For starters, Google is well aware of the fragmentation issue. In fact, one need only go so far as the Android Developers Dashboard to see the distribution of different OS versions and API levels.

Google first started lessening the importance of being on the latest Android version by decentralizing its core experience. By this, I mean that key first party apps such as Gmail and Maps were moved to the Play Store and updated accordingly. Next, Google added Google Play Services and provided devices running Gingerbread and up access to some of the latest libraries. Now, Google is tackling fragmentation by making the OS work better on entry-level devices with as little as half a gig of RAM.

Wearables

Next up? Wearables! We recently heard that Google was nearing completion in its Smartwatch project. Thus, it should come as no surprise, that wearables will gain increased focus. Furthermore, it is expected that KitKat will support three new sensor types: geomagnetic rotation vector, step detection, and step counter. And it is also expected that some of the changes may make it easier for future smartwatches to be more useful and power efficient.

NFC

NFC support is also expected to see major change. By now, we’ve all seen Google Wallet in action. Heck, many of us may even be rocking a device with an NFC secure element. However, the overall support for the technology has been disappointing. Caught between carrier and hardware restrictions, not many people are actually able to use Google Wallet to pay for things at vending machines and other supported terminals.

KitKat is rumored to take another stab at the situation, by taking carriers out of the equation. According to documents referenced by Amir Efranti, developers will be able to emulate credit card functionality without storing credit card data in the NFC secure element. Obviously this raises the question as to where exactly this data will be stored. Further, we think it’s safe to assume that this is just a feature that will be opened up to NFC app developers, and not something that will necessarily make it into the next builds of Google Wallet.

IR Blaster and Bluetooth Additions

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One both prominently feature built-in IR blasters. This functionality is quite frankly awesome. But since Android lacks a standardized API for IR blaster support, the implementations so far have been very disjoint. KitKat will hopefully alleviate this by creating said API, and allowing future app developers to tap into the system’s native IR blaster hooks. Finally, Bluetooth will also see two new features: Bluetooth HID over GATT and Bluetooth Message Access Profile. These should allow Android to be able to interface more efficiently with more devices than before.

Now that we have a few more leaked details about Android 4.4 KitKat, we can’t wait to get our hands on Google’s latest tasty treat. What features in 4.4 are you most excited about? Or are you really just excited for the Nexus 5? Let us know in the comments section below

New Runtime Compiler in Android 4.4 to Possibly Bring Better Performance in Future Releases

Android 4.4 KitKat ushers in several new and exciting features, many of which we talked about last night. One new and unexpected feature addition, however, appears to be a different real time compiler engine. In addition to Dalvik, references to ART have appeared under Android’s Developer Options menu. Not too long ago, Google purchased the French company Flexycore. And now, we may just be seeing the very first fruits from this purchase.

As can be seen in the screenshot to your right, there is now a menu allowing you to choose between Dalvik and ART within Developer options. Switching from Dalvik to ART switches from the libdvm.so library to libart.so. And rather than the ODEX files read by the Dalvik VM, ART appears to use OAT files. Accordingly, Android 4.4 source also includes a dex2oat program to convert ODEX files into OAT files compatible with ART.

It is important to keep in mind that this is currently “hidden,” as it breaks the emulator. However, it has far reaching potential in that it can compile Android apps into more native code than what’s currently available through Android’s JIT.

Exciting times, folks. Looks like Android 4.4 will have plenty of new features that are just waiting to be uncovered.

Android 4.4 Coming Soon to the Nexus 4, 7, 10, Moto X, New Droids, HTC One and SGS4 GPe; Not GNex

What an exciting day we had yesterday. As was widely speculated, the Google Nexus 5 was finally released, which means that you can finally put that F5 key to rest. However, the new device wasn’t the only important announcement yesterday. We were alsogiven a nice dose of the next version of Android, version 4.4 KitKat. Now the question in everybody‘s mind undoubtedly turns to when their device will get the update. Luckily, we now know the roadmap for certain key devices.

Nexus Lineup: Very soon

The current Nexus devices (Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 7 (2013), and Nexus 10) will receive an update to 4.4 KitKat “in the coming weeks.” At that point, the factory images and proprietary binaries for these devices will also be made available.

Unfortunately, however, the Android 4.4 goods will not be spread to the Galaxy Nexus. At this point, we theorize that this has to do with TI’s exit from the mobile SoC market. Thus, it is not in their best interest to produce driver binaries for the latest version of Android. However, given the open nature in the OMAP4, I wouldn’t count the device out in terms of aftermarket support just yet.

HTC One: Very soon for Google Play edition, 90 days for carrier variants

The HTC One will see an expedient update as well. Engadget spoke with Jason Mackenzie (president of HTC America), who stated that the OS update would be coming to the Google Play edition within 15 days and to the North American carrier variants within 90 days. The carrier variants will retain their Sense 5.5 skin as expected.

Samsung: Very soon for Google Play edition, unknown for other versions

So far, little is known regarding Samsung’s plans to update its recent devices to KitKat. However, we do know that the Google Play edition of the S4 will receive its update “in the coming weeks,” as stated by Sundar Pichai. That said, we couldn’t imagine Samsung falling too far behind HTC in this regard, so it’s reasonably safe to assume that updates will be made available for all of Samsung’s recent devices in the coming few months.

Motorola: At least it’s coming!

Finally, Motorola has plans to update the Moto X, as well as its latest Droid devices (Mini, Maxx, Ultra) to KitKat. There is no timeline as of yet, but at least the update is coming. Unfortunately, it looks like older Motorola devices other than the developer edition of the Razr HD are out of luck. You can check your own device’s update status on Motorola’s update portal.

While they may take some time to make it to your phone, the Android 4.4 goods are here. By hook or by crook, we’ll see Android 4.4 on most (if not all) modern devices. Heck, I’m personally waiting to see 4.4 on the legendary HTC HD2.

Did you already purchase a Nexus 5 to be first in line for the KitKat goods, or are you waiting for the OS to be made available on your existing hardware? Let us know in the comments below!

Android 4.4 KitKat (KRT16M) Source Code Released, Factory Images and Driver Binaries Available for the Nexus 5

Remember when the Nexus 7 (2013) launched, there was drama surrounding the delayed release of factory images for the device? Thankfully, the same is not the case for the newly launched Google Nexus 5. Factory Images and Driver Binaries are now available for the device. Furthermore, the source code to Android 4.4 is also available to those looking to bring the new OS to other devices.

Naturally, this won’t be of any direct benefit to most users, as most of us are still impatiently waiting for our Nexus 5 devices to arrive. That said, those looking to get early access to some of the KitKat goodies can do so by peering into these images and extracting all of the APK goodness and ROM developers can start messing with the source, assuming the driver binaries are compatible. In any case, it’s great to see that Google has learned from past mistakes and has the factory images available at device launch.

To get in on the action, head over to the Nexus Factory Images Page, the Nexus Binaries Page, and Android 4.4 KitKat Source Code.

New in Android 4.4 KitKat: Everything You Need to Know

So the long awaited Google Nexus 5 is finally here. And with the new device, comes a new version of Android: version 4.4 “KitKat.” About two months ago, Googleannounced the name of their latest version of Android. However, not much was said about the OS, and what would be different from 4.3 Jelly Bean. This comes in stark contrast to the Nexus 5′s hardware, which was pretty much a done deal seemingly forever ago. In any case, both the device and the OS are available now. And as such, all of the remaining details have come to light.

Last night, we covered some of the key features that were (at the time) rumored to be included in today’s official launch. The story mainly focused on changes that affect fragmentation, support for new sensors types, and improved NFC support. Many of these and more were confirmed today, along with a host of new features, thanks to the official release of both KitKat and the Nexus 5 and some in-house sleuth work.

Better Google Now Integration

The stock launcher will now feature Google Now front and center. By that, I mean that it will be right on your home screen, just one leftward swipe away. And on the Nexus 5, you will be able to simply say “OK, Google Now” from anywhere on your home screen, and Google Now will start listening to you.

The “OK, Google Now” functionality is similar to what we saw on the Moto X and the most recent Droid devices. However, this is a bit less useful than the previous offering because the device must be powered on and be on the home screen for this to work.

Built-In Printing Support

Aftermarket printing solutions have been able to leverage Google Cloud Print for some time now. However, now printing is built right into the operating system, without the need for any additional apps.

Faster Multitasking

Android 4.4 is slated to improve multitasking performance by optimizing memory management and improving touch screen responsiveness. This, along with efforts to reduce the memory footprint of core apps, should mean that the system will make better use of available computational resources.

Full Screen Immersive Mode

Android has made the overall experience “more engaging” by allowing content to utilize all available screen real estate. Previously, this was only possible in certain types of applications such as video players, where no user input was required.

Now, any application can make use of the full expanse of the screen by fading away both system bars. Previously, any user interaction would bring back the hidden bars. Now, however, the bars can be set to only reappear with a swipe from the top of the screen. This enables applications of any type to make use of this feature, even when user input is required.

Low-End Device Support

KitKat has been streamlined, such that every major component has a reduced memory footprint, with new APIs geared at helping app developers create faster and more memory-efficient apps. This includes the new API ActivityManager.isLowRamDevice(), which lets you tune your app’s behavior to match the target device’s memory constraints. Furthermore, core system process have been trimmed, and new services are configured to run serially and in small groups, to avoid higher memory demands.

This expands on yesterday’s news that Android 4.4 would be better suited for devices with limited memory. As stated on the Android Developers Site:

OEMs building the next generation of Android devices can take advantage of targeted recommendations and options to run Android 4.4 efficiently, even on low-memory devices. Dalvik JIT code cache tuning, kernel samepage merging (KSM), swap to zRAM, and other optimizations help manage memory. New configuration options let OEMs tune out-of-memory levels for processes, set graphics cache sizes, control memory reclaim, and more.

That said, despite claims of compatibility with lower end hardware, we find it curious at best that Google is choosing not to update the GSM Galaxy Nexus to 4.4. Google mentions that this is due to the device being outside of the 18-month product lifecycle, but we can’t help but feel that this isn’t exactly setting a terribly good example for other device providers.

Improved Rendering performance

Thanks to changes to the rendering engine, applications that use RenderScript will benefit from the tuning in 4.4. Chief among these changes, Android’s SurfaceFlinger was updated from OpenGL ES 1.0 to OpenGL ES 2.0. This brings added performance through the use of multi-texturing, as well as improved visuals with color calibration and more advanced effects.

Improved NFC Payment Support: Host Card Emulation

Yesterday, we mentioned that NFC payment functionality would be extended to devices without NFC Secure Elements. Now, we know how this is possible. Android 4.4 introduces support for Host Card Emulation, whereby standard NFC hardware can emulate ISO/IEC 7816-based smart cards that use the contactless ISO/IEC 14443-4 (ISO-DEP) protocol for transmission. This then makes any device with NFC hardware capable of using the tap-to-pay functionality. That said, not every device will have support. And currently, it looks like only devices with US SIM cards are eligible.

Improved Security

Android 4.4 now uses SELinux enforcing mode in order to block potential policy violations within an SELinux domain. KitKat also improves upon the cryptographic algorithms by adding support for two additional algorithms. Further, Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) support was added to the keystore to improve digital signing, and Scrypt Key Derivation Function is used to protect crypto keys used in full-disk encryption.

SMS Provider

App developers can now use a shared SMS provider and new APIs to handle device messaging, as well as message storage and retrieval. The new APIs use the new SMS_Deliverintent to allow app developers to route messages through the user’s default messaging app, making the cross-app experience seamless.

New Sensor Modes and Improved Connectivity

Finally, connectivity options and sensor support were bolstered in KitKat. Hardware Sensor Batching is a new optimization that should dramatically reduce power consumption during ongoing sensor activities. This is ideal for low-power and long-running sensor use-cases such as geo-fitness apps and more. Support for step detection and step counter sensors was also added, though this is hardware dependant.

Support for IR Blasters was also added to 4.4, bringing a new API and system service. These will allow app developers to better make use of IR Blasters on supported devices, without the need for device-specific coding.

Finally, Bluetooth saw a nice overhaul with support for HID over GATT (HOGP), which gives applications a low-latency link to select hardware, and MAP, which lets apps exchange messages with nearby devices.

Android Design

Quite a few changes were also made on the design front. These include toning down the blue accents throughout the UI, as well as a few, more subtle changes. A fantastic overview detailing some of the new design features in KitKat can be found below:

While we didn’t hear anything on the Wearables front as was previously expected, we were certainly given worthy treats on this Halloween. The enhancements to resource consumption, responsiveness, immersiveness, and overall fit and finish make for a great update. We’re excited for what Android 4.4 KitKat brings to the table, and we’re even more eager to seewhat the future holds for the OS.

What are you most excited about in Android 4.4? Let us know in the comments section below!

A full list of new end-user features made available in 4.4 can be found on the Android KitKat website, and more developer-centric features can be found on the Android Developers website.

VIA XDA

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Judul: Everything About Android Kitkat 4.4 (Don't Miss)
Ditulis oleh Unknown
Rating Blog 5 dari 5

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