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Tag: Android 4.4

  • Jelly Bean And KitKat Both See Small Gains In February

    The Android ecosystem is constantly changing as users adopt new versions of the mobile OS. For a while now, Jelly Bean has been king after taking the majority rule from Gingerbread. While Jelly Bean will remain the new Gingerbread for quite some time, KitKat is starting to see some growth.

    In the latest Android distribution numbers, Google reports that Jelly Bean is now on 62 percent of all devices. Last month, it was on 60.7 percent of all Android devices. Interestingly enough, Android 4.1 saw a minor decline as more users moved onto versions 4.2 or 4.3.

    As for KitKat, it saw a small bump from 1.8 percent to 2.5 percent. More and more devices from last year are beginning to get KitKat upgrades so we can expect to see this number rise more in the coming months. The impending launches of KitKat devices, like the Galaxy S5 and all new HTC One, should help lead KitKat to more marketshare as well.

    Jelly Bean and KitKat Both See Small Gains In February

    Both Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich saw either a 1 percent or nearly 1 percent decline in February. Both versions continue to grow more obsolete as devices launch with at least Jelly Bean these days. It can be assumed that Gingerbread is only sticking around thanks to the millions of devices around the world that still run the aging mobile OS.

    Now that we’re three months in the new year, we can also start speculating as to when Google will unveil the next version of Android. We usually bet on Google I/O, but that wasn’t the case last year. In fact, Google unveiled Android 4.3 after I/O and then released KitKat in October. Of course, Android 4.5 being unveiled at Google I/O isn’t out of the question. At this point, however, it seems a little unlikely.

    Image via Android Developers

  • Jelly Bean Now On Over 60 Percent Of Android Devices

    In January, it was revealed that Jelly Bean was on nearly 60 percent of all Android devices. The huge bump in Jelly Bean devices could be attributed to a healthy holiday period for Android. With the holidays over, one might assume that Jelly Bean’s growth would slow down. As you may have heard once or twice, it’s never good to assume.

    For February, the Android distribution chart shows that Jelly Bean is now on 60.7 percent of all Android devices. Like usual, Android version 4.1 makes up the largest amount of Jelly Bean devices at 35.5 percent with versions 4.2 and 4.3 following at 16.3 percent and 8.9 percent respectively.

    Jelly Bean Now On 60 Percent of android devices

    As you can see, KitKat hasn’t grown that much in the past month with Android 4.4 only adding .4 percent to its total. That’s to be expected though as there’s not many devices out yet with the latest version of Android and OEMs won’t be launching KitKat devices until later this year.

    In the meantime, we can continue to chart the downfall of Gingerbread. The once mighty Android 2.3 is now only on 20 percent of all Android devices. Ice Cream Sandwich isn’t falling quite as rapidly as it only lost .8 percentage points in the last month. Both will continue to decline in use, however, as more affordable Jelly Bean and KitKat devices enter the market.

    As for the future, we’ll probably continue to see Jelly Bean become the dominant player much like Gingerbread once was. KitKat will see some growth later this year as more devices are released, and everything else will either stagnate or decline. Google may even drop Google Play support for Froyo thus ending its time on the charts.

  • Google Details Google Drive Android API

    Google Details Google Drive Android API

    Earlier this month, Google upgraded Google Play Services to version 4.1. One of the big features in this latest upgrade was the inclusion of a Google Drive Android API. Now Google has offered more details on what it says provides developers “a faster, seamless experience that enables your apps to integrate with the Drive backend within minutes.”

    To start us off, Google says the Drive API will sync app data stored locally with Google Drive storage in the cloud. This happens automatically so a users locally stored data will always be backed up on Google Drive. If the user happens to be offline when creating new local data, the Google Drive API will sync that data with the cloud the next time they get online.

    With this being Android, the Google Drive Android API has been designed to work on pretty much every device. There are three specific features you should be aware of though:

  • There’s minimal impact on the weight of your apps. As the client library is a stub to Google Play Services, incorporating the API has minimal impact on the size of your .apk binaries, resulting in faster downloads, fewer updates, and smaller execution footprint.
  • User files are automatically synced between different devices (provided the app has the same namespace and is signed with the same key).
  • Any device running the Gingerbread or later releases of Android and Google Play Services will automatically have support for the Google Drive Android API.

    • If you don’t want to build your own UI for the new Drive functionality, Google says this initial release comes with both file picker and creator user interface components.

    Specific to Android 4.4, Google notes that the Storage Access Framework is a generic client API that allows apps to communicate with multiple storage providers. They encourage developers to use the the Google Drive Android API as it provides “specialized functionality for interacting with files stored on Google Drive.”

    To learn more about the Google Drive Android API, check out the documentation and Google’s GitHub page. You can also watch a quick video introduction to the API below:

    Image via Google Developers Blog

  • Moto G Gets A Google Play Edition

    Motorola was on a roll in 2013 with a line of super affordable smartphones that packed in some nifty features. The customizable Moto X is a steal at $399, and now Google is making the handset maker’s Moto G almost impossible to pass up on Google Play.

    Google added the Moto G to its growing list of Google Play Edition Android devices today. The entry-level smartphone packs some serious punch for its price. It’s also completely unlocked and comes with stock Android. While the device costs the same, the addition of stock Android and the promise of Android updates straight from Google make the $179 asking price even more titillating.

    Now before you go rushing off to buy your new smartphone, you should be aware of what you’re getting yourself into. Google Play Edition smartphones are generally cheap than their carrier counterparts, but you are getting what you pay for with the Moto G. In other words, you’re getting an entry level device that will serve your needs well if all you’re looking for is a smartphone that can do the most basic of tasks – a gaming device this is not.

    That being said, the Moto G does have some pretty serious hardware under the hood. It has a 4.5-inch 720p display, 5MP rear facing camera, 1.3MP front facing camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU and 2070 mAh battery. It doesn’t support LTE, but it does support 4G on both T-Mobile and AT&T.

    Oh, and if 8GB of onboard memory doesn’t do it for you, the 16GB Moto G is also available for $199. Both models are in stock and will ship from warehouses in one to two days.

    Image via Google Play

  • Jelly Bean Now On Almost 60 Percent Of All Android Devices

    At the beginning of December, it was revealed that Jelly Bean was on 54.5 percent of all Android devices. At the time, it seemed likely that Jelly Bean would reach 60 percent marketshare thanks to the holiday season. While it didn’t quite reach that point, it’s getting awfully close.

    In the latest Android stats released today, Google reports that Jelly Bean is now on 59.1 percent of all Android devices. Most Jelly Bean users are on versions 4.1 or 4.2, but use of 4.3 is climbing as it has jumped from 4.2 percent to 7.8 percent in just a month.

    Jelly Bean Now On Almost 60 Percent Of All Android Devices

    As you can see, KitKat is still chugging along with a 0.3 percent increase in 30 days. The newest OS is still not available on a lot of devices so growth will be slow for a while. As for Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich, both versions are still slowly losing ground to Jelly Bean. By next month, Gingerbread may finally make up less than 20 percent of the entire Android ecosystem.

    As we progress through 2014, expect to see KitKat grow as more devices with the OS enter the market. While the devices shipping in early 2014 will probably have 4.3, the devices shipping later this year will most likely get 4.4. After all, it takes OEMs a while to test these new versions of Android and slap their own skins over them.

    2014 may also be the year that Android makes the jump to non-traditional devices, like cars. Last week, Google revealed that it had partnered with auto and tech companies to form the Open Automative Alliance. The initiative is seen as a way to get Android into cars without having drivers rely on the dangerous habit of playing with their phone while on the road. It will also help Android break out of its mobile ecosystem and become an operating system that powers everything.

    Image via Android Developers

  • Motorola Reduces The Moto X’ Price To $399

    Motorola Reduces The Moto X’ Price To $399

    After being purchased by Google in 2012, Motorola sought to reinvent itself in 2013 with the release of the Moto X. Now the company is starting off 2014 right by reducing the price of its flagship smartphone.

    Motorola announced on Wednesday that the Moto X is now available at every carrier off-contract for $399. The company emphasizes that this price is permanent going forward and that it applies to all versions of the Moto X, including the fully customized phones made through the Moto Maker. In other words, you can get that awesome Moto X with wood paneling for the same price of a 32GB Nexus 5.

    With this new pricing, Motorola encourages consumers to go with the more affordable pre-paid wireless plans that many carriers offer. It estimates that a consumer could save hundreds of dollars over the two years that they would normally be locked into a contract with a subsidized phone.

    Interestingly enough, Motorola is also offering to finance a new Moto X for the consumer that can’t afford the full $399 price tag up front. In the fine print, Motorola says that a new Moto X can be yours for $0 down and interest free if the device is paid in full over the course of 6, 12 or 18 months.

    If you care more about hardware specs than gimmicks, another cheap option available to consumers going into 2014 is Google’s own Nexus 5. The LG G2 clone is available on pretty much every carrier and only costs $349 for the 16GB SKU. You can get the 32GB handset for $50 more.

    Image via Motorola Blog

  • Upgrading Your Android OS Isn’t As Easy As It Looks

    You really wanted a new smartphone this year, but just couldn’t afford it. Your friends and family couldn’t pull through either so your left with your archaic smartphone from 2011. Still, your old smartphone could be upgraded to a newer version of Android, right? It seems so simple, yet handset manufacturers constantly refuse to update older phones. Why is that?

    While you may think that handset manufacturers simply hate you for being poor, it’s a little more complicated than that. In fact, the process of upgrading your phone’s OS is a lot more complicated than just pushing an OTA update to your device. It takes months of preparation and development to get the latest updates up and running on your device.

    To better illustrate this process, HTC put together an infographic called “The anatomy of an Android OS update.” It gives us an inside look at how HTC evaluates and implements the newest versions of Android. Interestingly enough, the infographic follows the update process not just for carrier devices, but for unlocked and Google Play Edition devices as well.

    Check it out:

    Upgrading Your Android OS Isn't As Easy As It Looks

    Oh, and if you want to know how far along HTC is in upgrading your HTC One to KitKat, check out this status page.

  • LG G Pad 8.3 Comes To Google Play With Stock Android

    A while back, we were treated to an image on Google Play of a woman using what looked like an 8-inch tablet. At the time, we thought Google would be releasing an 8-inch tablet to go alongside the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, but the reality is actually a little different.

    LG announced today that its new 8-inch tablet – the G Pad 8.3 – is now available on Google Play with stock Android. Much like the HTC One and Galaxy S 4 before it, LG’s tablet now rocks the Google Play Edition moniker to distinguish itself from the pack. It also has the distinction of being the first tablet to be a part of the Google Play Edition line.

    “LG’s working relationship with Google has always been strong and our collaboration on the first-ever Google Play Edition tablet is proof of that commitment,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition is a device with hardware and software that has been optimized for a truly consumer-friendly experience. There’s nothing else like it out there in the marketplace.”

    The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition is no different from the regular G Pad 8.3 that launched earlier this year. Those who opt for the GPE route will still get the same 8.3-inch 1920×1200 display, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of memory, rear 5.0MP camera and Wi-Fi only connectivity. Unlike the regular G Pad 8.3, the GPE G Pad 8.3 will ship with Android 4.4, KitKat, and will be updated regularly to the newest version of Android before any other device.

    The LG G Pad Google Play Edition is available now for $349.99. If you’re in the market for a new phone, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra now has a Google Play Edition as well. It will set you back $649.99.

    [Image: Google Play]

  • After A Month, KitKat Is On 1.1 Percent Of All Android Devices

    In late October, Google released the newest version of Android – KitKat. Like all new Android releases, the only devices getting KitKat are Google’s own Nexus phones and tablets. As such, you can expect its first few months of growth to be a little slow.

    KitKat made its debut on the Android distribution chart today with the newest version of Google’s mobile OS showing up on 1.1 percent of all devices. Compared to Jelly Bean’s first few months, KitKat is actually doing pretty well for itself. That’s mostly due to more people owning Nexus devices now than they did in the middle of 2012 though.

    KitKat Is On 1.1 Percent Of All Android Devices

    As for the other versions of Android, Jelly Bean continues its reign over the Android ecosystem with it being installed on 54.5 percent of all devices. Gingerbread retains its second place standing at 24.1 percent, but Ice Cream Sandwich is not far behind with 18.6 percent. With Christmas coming up, both Gingerbread and ICS stand to lose a lot of marketshare as Jelly Bean devices are likely to find themselves in more hands after the holidays.

    So, what does the future hold for Android? KitKat adoption probably isn’t going anywhere that fast as most Jelly Bean users are still on version 4.1. Mobile carriers are slow to upgrade these devices, and it might be a while before some devices are upgraded to versions 4.2 or 4.3. With the reduced system requirements of KitKat, some carriers may choose to just upgrade some devices to version 4.4. If that happens, KitKat may just grow a bit faster than its predecessor.

    Still, we won’t be able to see where things are heading until after Christmas. In early January, we’ll be able to see a mostly accurate representation of how many new Android devices were activated over the holidays. My bet is that Jelly Bean is going to see some explosive growth while KitKat only sees minor growth.

  • New Nexus 7 Won’t Work On Verizon Until It Gets KitKat

    This year’s Nexus 7 supported 4G LTE networks right out of the gate on AT&T, T-Mobile and any other GSM network. As such, it should have been as easy as buying the unlocked tablet and activating it for Verizon subscribers. What those subscribers found, however, was that Verizon was giving them the run around as it refused to activate the tablets on its network. Now the carrier finally has a reason.

    Speaking to Android Police, a Verizon spokesperson said that its refusal to activate the Nexus 7 on its network all came down to a “systems issue” discovered in Jelly Bean. Instead of working together to fix the problem, Verizon claims Google told it to hold off on certifying the device until it got KitKat.

    Here’s the full statement:

    During the certification process for the Nexus 7, Google, Asus and Verizon uncovered a systems issue that required Google and Asus to undertake additional work with the Jelly Bean OS running on the device. Since Google was about to launch its new Kit Kat OS, rather than undertake this work, Google and Asus asked Verizon to suspend its certification process until Google’s new OS was available on the Nexus 7.

    So, what does this mean for the Verizon subscriber with a brand new LTE-capable Nexus 7? You’re probably going to have to wait for a few more weeks as Google’s rollout of new Android versions to previous Nexus devices usually takes a long time. My Nexus 7 from 2012 didn’t get Android 4.3 until three weeks after it debuted in July. While my experience may vary from yours, you may be in for a long wait until you can activate your new tablet on Verizon. As for AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers, you can just buy a Nexus 7 with a carrier-specific SIM already installed.

    [Image: Google Play]

  • Android 4.4 Comes With New Photo Editing Software

    Last week, Google finally unveiled all the new features it would be bringing to Android 4.4, or KitKat. There’s a lot of good stuff in the latest release, like a smaller memory footprint. The announcement failed to mention, however, that the latest version of Android will also ship with new photo editing software.

    Google employee Nicolas Roard announced on Friday that his team had built a new non-destructive photo editor for KitKat. Here’s what it all does:

    The editor is pretty powerful, works on tablet and phones, handles full-size image processing, zooming, re-edit, image exports, user presets, etc. This new version also adds more powerful specialized tools (graduated filters, per-channel saturation controls, local adjustments, etc.)

    Roard notes that the photo editor will also be coming to the Android Open Source Project so developers all over the world will be able to tinker with it once it launches.

    Of course, it’s no fun just being told how a photo editor works so here’s a video demo of the the new editor in action taken from a Nexus 7 running Android 4.4. It’s noted that the video was captured using Android 4.4’s new screen recording feature – another exciting feature in the upcoming release:

    The inclusion of a more powerful photo editor within Android itself is another sign that Google is taking photography very seriously. Just last week, the company held a Google+ event where it announced a number of new features for its social network’s photo editing software, including new auto-enhance features.

    [h/t: Engadget]
    [Image: amaelon/YouTube]

  • Jelly Bean Is Now On A Majority Of Android Devices

    Last week, Google finally unveiled Android 4.4 KitKat alongside the new Nexus 5. While a new version of Android is certainly cause to celebrate, most of the world is still going to be using Jelly Bean for the foreseeable future. That’s a good thing though as a majority of the world’s Android devices are now running Android 4.1 through 4.3.

    In the latest update to the Android distribution numbers, Google shows that Jelly Bean is now on 52.1 percent of all Android devices. Unsurprisingly, version 4.1 is still the dominant form of Jelly Bean with it running on 37.3 percent of all devices. Version 4.3 has also seen some relatively strong growth as it now commands 2.3 percent of the Android ecosystem despite being introduced back in July.

    Jelly Bean Is Now On A Majority of Android Devices

    It’s been almost a year and a half since the first version of Jelly Bean was introduced at Google I/O 2012. Since then, Android has become the dominant mobile OS on the planet, and it has even started to appear on more than just mobile devices. In the last year, Jelly Bean became the OS of choice for a new line of handheld and home gaming consoles, like the Nvidia Shield and Ouya.

    As for the future, it’s looking pretty bright for KitKat. Google announced last week that it intends to make KitKat available to all Android devices regardless of their specs. This should help eradicate Gingerbread from its still powerful position on the Android distribution charts as it has only remained relevant due to the large number of low-end devices that are sold in emerging markets like China and India. With Android 4.4, the latest version of Google’s mobile OS will finally be able to run on these devices thus allowing low-end device manufacturers to stand on equal footing with the big guys when it comes to which Android version they can offer consumers.

    [Image: KIT KAT/YouTube]

  • Nexus 5 Will Come To Sprint, T-Mobile Before The Holidays

    Nexus 5 Will Come To Sprint, T-Mobile Before The Holidays

    Did yesterday’s Nexus 5 announcement excite you to no end? You might have even rushed to the Google Play store to purchase one, but found its comparatively affordable price of $349 to be a bit too much. Well, worry not as Google’s next flagship device will soon be subsidized through two carriers.

    Upon the announcement of the Nexus 5 yesterday, Sprint was the first out of the gate to announce that the device would be available on their network starting November 8 for $149.99. The device will also be compatible with Sprint’s Unlimited Data Guarantee for Life plan.

    “Whether you’re streaming music or video, surfing the Web, gaming online or just catching up on email, in upgraded areas, Nexus 5 will offer Sprint customers a secure, fast connection using all three of Sprint’s 4G LTE network bands, giving customers the best wireless experience for their needs,” said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “With the dynamic camera features available on this smartphone, our customers will be able to enjoy sharing all their photos and have the peace of mind by not having to worry about data caps or overage charges. While other wireless providers move away from unlimited service, Sprint stands behind its commitment with Sprint Unlimited Guarantee, allowing our customers to lock-in unlimited talk, text and data, while on the Sprint network, not for just the next two years, but for the life of the line of service.”

    That’s great and all, but what about T-Mobile? It carried the Nexus 4 so it only makes sense that it would also carry the Nexus 5, right? That would be correct as T-Mobile announced yesterday that it would be carrying the Nexus 5 as well. It didn’t provide a price or launch date, however, so we’re stuck with a vague announcement of sometime before Christmas. The Nexus 5 will be available to new customers and JUMP program participants.

    There have been no other announcements from other carriers so it’s most likely that the Nexus 5 will only be available through T-Mobile and Sprint. For everybody else, you’ll have to buy it full price through the Google Play store and activate it on your carrier. Even then, you’re only paying $350 for what is essentially an LG G2.

    [Image: Google]

  • Here’s Everything Developers Need To Know About Android 4.4

    After two months of waiting, Google finally unveiled the features its bringing to its mobile OS with Android 4.4. There’s a lot of good stuff for users and you can read more about that here. There’s even better news though – Google is making developers’ lives much easier with the latest incarnation of Android.

    On the official Android Developers blog, Google laid out all the new development features coming to Android 4.4, or KitKat. These new features will help developers deliver more immersive apps while adding new functionality.

    Without further ado, here are the major new development tools in Android 4.4:

  • New ways to create beautiful apps — A new full-screen immersive mode lets your app or game use every pixel on the screen to showcase content and capture touch events. A new transitions framework makes it easier to animate the states in your UI. Web content can take advantage of a completely new implementation of WebView built on Chromium.
  • More useful than ever — A printing framework lets you add the convenience of printing to your apps. A storage access framework makes it easier for users find documents, photos, and other data across their local and cloud-based storage services. You can integrate your app or storage service with the framework to give users instant access to their data.
  • Low-power sensors — New hardware-integrated sensors let you add great new features to your apps without draining the battery. Included are a step detector and step counter that let you efficiently track of the number of walking steps, even when the screen is off.
  • New media capabilities — A new screen recorder lets you capture high-quality video of your app directly from your Android device. It’s a great new way to create walkthroughs, tutorials, marketing videos, and more. Apps can use adaptive playback to offer a significantly better streaming video experience.
  • RenderScript in the NDK — A new C++ API in the Android Native Development Kit (NDK) lets you use RenderScript from your native code, with access to script intrinsics, custom kernels, and more.
  • Improved accessibility support — New system-wide captioning settings let your apps present closed captions in the style that’s preferred by the user.

    • If you want to learn more about Android 4.4, check out this new video from the DevBytes show on the Android Developers channel:

    Developers interested in updating their apps for Android 4.4 can download the SDK and related tools today from the Android SDK manager. You can also grab the latest support package here, and the latest Android NDK here.

    [Image: Android Developers/YouTube]

  • Google Details Android 4.4, Confirms Smaller Memory Footprint

    Since it was announced in early September, we’ve known next to nothing about Android 4.4, or KitKat. A rumor this morning suggested that the big game changer in the latest version of Android would be that it runs on low-end devices with less than a gigabyte of memory. As it turns out, that was right on the money.

    In a blog post detailing Android 4.4, Google confirms that KitKat will run comfortably on low-end smartphones. It was able to accomplish this by making Android’s memory footprint much smaller than before. Here’s the explanation:

    Until now, some lower-end Android phones couldn’t benefit from more recent Android releases due to memory constraints. With KitKat, we’ve slimmed down Android’s memory footprint by doing things like removing unnecessary background services and reducing the memory consumption of features that you use all the time. We did this not only within Android but across Google services like Chrome and YouTube. RAM (or memory) is one of the most expensive parts of a phone, and now Android can run comfortably on the 512MB of RAM devices that are popular in much of the world, bringing the latest goodies in Android 4.4 within reach for the next billion smartphone users.

    As for other details, Google says that KitKat will be “bringing more Google smarts to Android.” In other words, stuff like Google Voice Search and Google Now will be even more deeply integrated into the Google experience. For example, the phone app has been upgraded to help you not only search through you contacts, but to help you search for the phone number of nearby businesses and even your own company’s directory.

    As for Google Now, it can be launched directly from the home screen through either a swipe or voice command. You only have to say “OK, Google” and you can “launch voice search, send a text, get directions or even play a song you want to hear.” Google also says that it will be bringing new card types to Google Now in the coming weeks, including updates to the blogs that you follow.

    Another useful feature for those with wireless printers is that Android now has a Print Services API. This means that you can now easily send documents from your phone to your wireless printer.

    Finally, KitKat will allow app developers to create full screen apps. For example, the Google Books app can now display a book’s text on the entire display. Those who read eBooks will no longer have to gaze upon the notification bar when reading the latest thriller. Same goes for movies and games as they will now be able to take up the entire screen.

    Android 4.4 will be immediately available on the new Nexus 5, and will soon be available as an OTA update on the Nexus 7, Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 over the coming weeks. As for other devices, you’ll just have to wait until your carrier confirms it.

    [Image: googlenexus/YouTube]

  • Google Officially Announces The Nexus 5

    After months of speculation and rumors, the day is finally here. Google has announced the Nexus 5 and it’s everything we hoped it would be.

    In the official announcement, Google confirms that the Nexus 5, just like the Nexus 4, is made by LG. Here’s what you can expect from it:

    Its design is simple and refined to showcase the 5” Full HD display. Nexus 5 also keeps you connected at blazing speeds with 4G/LTE and ultra fast wifi. The advanced new lens on Nexus 5 captures more light for brighter night and sharper action shots. And with optical image stabilization, you no longer have to worry about shaky hands and blurry pictures. A new HDR+ mode automatically snaps a rapid burst of photos and combines them to give you the best possible single shot. Learn more on our site.

    As for official specs, it really is an LG G2 with a worse camera. It features the same 4.95-inch 1080p display, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2300mAh battery and 2GB of RAM as the LG G2, but has a downgraded front and rear camera at 1.3MP and 8MP respectively.

    The phone will come in 16GB and 32GB varieties as well as in black and white. The 16GB model will run you $349 while the 32GB model will cost $399. Like always, the Nexus 5 comes unlocked and ready for any compatible wireless carrier. It’s available for preorder now and will ship in the next few days.

    [Image: Google Play]

  • Android 4.4 Will Help Out Low-End Devices [Report]

    Almost two months ago, Google unveiled Android 4.4, or KitKat. Since then, we’ve heard almost nothing about the new OS other than Google’s own cryptic promise to “make an amazing Android experience available for everybody.” Now a new report is expanding upon what that may mean.

    Amir Efrati claims today to have seen a “confidential file” that Google shared with Android OEMs regarding the upcoming KitKat OS. The document reportedly details what Google is aiming for with Android 4.4, and what we can expect to see from it.

    According to the document, Google is hoping to fix the fragmentation problem with Android 4.4. The company notes that lower end devices being released in developing markets like China and India run older versions of Android, like 2.3 or 4.0. With KitKat, Google is hoping to make a version of Android that runs well not only on the flagship devices like the Galaxy S 4, but the cheap low-end phones with only 512MB of RAM as well.

    Interestingly enough, Android 4.4’s reported support of lower end devices will also help the mobile OS proliferate throughout the emerging wearable-computer market. The report states that KitKat will support three new sensors – geomagnetic rotation vector, step detector and step counter. In short, you’re going to start seeing Android proper show up in Google’s own smart watch as well as other smart watches from HTC and Samsung.

    Another interesting tidbit is that Google is reportedly building remote control functionality into Android 4.4. Some flagship devices already have IR blasters that allow them to control TVs and other devices, but these are built on a device-by-device basis with no common API to pull from. That may change with Android 4.4 with developers being able to build their own remote control apps.

    All the above is well and good, but what about existing devices? Will lower end devices be able to take advantage of KitKat? After all, the main reason many devices were passed over for getting Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean was that the devices weren’t powerful enough. Well, Efrati took to Google+ to say that “Google wants to make it easier for OEMs/carriers to push updates to existing devices.” He immediately cautioned to not “hold your breath” though.

    In short, Android 4.4 sounds like the next logical step for Google. It needs to figure out how to keep everybody on the same page and an OS that targets low-end as well as high-end devices may be just what Android needs. Just don’t expect your carrier to suddenly start pushing out KitKat to your 3-year-old HTC Desire.

    [Image: Google]
    [h/t: Engadget]

  • These New Android KitKat Ads Are Adorable

    October 28 came and went, and we still have no idea when Google will actually release Android 4.4, or KitKat. Some rumors are now saying that we’ll see it on November 1. Well, until it’s released, we’ll just have to make do with more teases from the folks at Nestle.

    The official KitKat YouTube page was updated today with two short animations featuring the ever adorable Bugdroid and a KitKat bar. The first shows us why you should never trust a magician:

    As for the second, I think YouTube commenter Adeel Ejaz sums it up pretty well – “Replace that KitKat with Nexus 5 and that is exactly what Google is doing to us.”

    Personally, I can’t wait to see what the conspiracy theorists can pull out of these two animations.

    [Image: KIT KAT/YouTube]

  • Latest Nexus 5 Leak Suggests Device Will Launch November 1

    Earlier this month, Nestle teased that Android 4.4, and presumably the Nexus 5, would be unveiled on October 28. That may still be the case, but a new leak suggests that the Nexus 5 won’t actually launch today, but rather a little later in the week.

    Over the weekend, the ever reliable @evleaks shared the Nexus 5 press render that we already saw when Google leaked the device itself on the Google Play store. Despite having already seen it, it’s still a nice piece of hardware:

    Now, things got interesting about 19 hours ago when the account posted the following tweet:

    That’s a white Nexus 5 with a release date of November 1. It’s not too surprising to see a white Nexus 5, but this is the first time that we’ve yet to see an actual date for the device. Now, this could mean that both the black and white Nexus 5 will launch on November 1, or it could mean that only the white Nexus 5 will launch on November 1 while the black Nexus 5 launches later today. My bet’s on the former as Google will probably reveal the device today and open up preorders for a launch next week.

    Keep in mind that the October 28 date is something that’s only been teased at this point. The @evleaks tweet may very well be pointing to a Google event that’s set to take place on November 1 instead. I, and many others, hope it’s today, but we won’t know for sure until Google says something.

    [Image: @evleaks]

  • Google Play Event Scheduled For October 24

    All signs are now pointing to a late October release for the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4. In fact, some teases from Nestle have some conspiracy theorists convinced that October 28 is the promised day. That very well may be the case, but then why is Google hosting a Google Play event just days before the suspected Nexus 5 reveal?

    Droid Life reports that Google began sending out invites for a Google Play event over the weekend. The event is scheduled for October 24 in New York City, and will feature “music movies, games and a special performance by Capital Cities.”

    Here’s the invite:

    Google Play Event Scheduled For October 24

    This event seems like the perfect place to reveal the Nexus 5, Nexus 10 and finally reveal more details regarding Android 4.4, right? That’s what everybody else thought as well until it was confirmed that no new hardware was to be shown at this event. It looks like Google is merely hosting an event to showcase the best Google Play has to offer before unveiling its new hardware presumably just a few days later.

    It seems odd to split a software showcase and a hardware unveiling into two separate events. You would think that Google would want to showcase the best Google Play has to offer alongside its latest hardware. After all, software can still sell hardware, and the Nexus 5 would be served well by a software showcase that demonstrated just how powerful Google’s latest flagship mobile device really is.

    With all this in mind, we’ll continue to look forward to October 28 as the Nexus 5 reveal date. We’ll keep an eye out on the Google Play event as well though. Google may just surprise us with something.

    [Image: Droid-Life]

  • Nexus 5 Accidentally Shows Up On Google Play, Is Promptly Removed

    The Nexus 5 has been the worst kept secret out of Google all year. We’ve known about it for months, and we’ve even seen video of it time and time again. Now Google itself is getting in on the leaking action via its official Google Play store.

    Droid-Life reports that the Google Play store was updated last night with the Nexus 5. It was obviously a case of somebody prematurely pulling the trigger as the device was quickly removed from the store, but that didn’t stop everybody from grabbing pictures of the device.

    So, without further ado, here’s the best looking shot you’ll see of the Nexus 5 this week:

    Nexus 5 Accidentally Shows Up Google Play

    That’s one good looking phone. Sure, we’ve already seen pictures of it, but this press render really nails just how beautiful Google’s latest phone really is.

    Aside from the image leaks, the Google Play leak also confirmed that the Nexus 5 will start at $349. It’s assumed that this means the 16GB Nexus 5 will cost $349 while the 32GB Nexus 5 will cost $400. It’s a bit more expensive than what the rumors were suggesting, but it’s still a really good price for what is essentially an LG G2.

    As for other details, there wasn’t much else. The only thing we have to go on is Google’s description of the device – “Capture the everyday and the epic in fresh new ways.” That doesn’t really tell us a lot. What it does tell us, in a roundabout way, is that the Nexus 5 is practically almost here. If the conspiracy theorists are right, we’ll see it and Android 4.4 on October 28.

    [Image: Droid-Life]