Google's Android 4.4 KitKat is a Slimmer, Faster OS

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Yes, today is Halloween. And what better day to announce your new mobile operating system with a branded chocolate name? Originally announced by Google last month, Android 4.4 KitKat is finally up for display alongside the just announced--and long-rumored--Nexus 5. While Kitkat doesn't exactly re-invent the Android wheel, Google has still packed in plenty of new features.

"Building a platform that makes mobile phones accessible for everyone has always been at the heart of Android," reads a post on the Google Blog. "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."
Overall, KitKat does take a more streamlined approach to the Android OS, even if its design is still fairly similar to its predecessor, Jelly Bean. According to Google, KitKat can "run comfortably" on Android devices with at least 512MB of RAM.
Changes to the Android interface include an updated Phone app, which adds integrated searchable contacts, directories in other Google apps, and even nearby businesses. And when you're watching a video or perhaps reading a book, the "immersive mode" will hide all of your other open elements to allow you to focus on the content you're actually using. A revamped Hangouts app will also throw all of your text messages and video calls into the mix, so you're not backing out to find them in another app.
And speaking of text messages, KitKat will allow you to use any third-party text messaging app on the Google Play store as your primary SMS conduit.
Android 4.4 is available right now, pre-loaded in the Nexus 5. The OS update will also find its way to Nexus 4, 7, and 10 devices--in addition to the Google Play Editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One--in the "coming weeks," according to Google.
Matt Clark is a freelance writer covering the world of videogames, tech, and popular culture. Follow him on Twitter @ClarkMatt and MyIGN at Matt_Clark.


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