Android KitKat 4.4-Next Billion Users For Android?

Android 4.4 "KitKat"-Revamping Android For The Better:

At midnight, Google released the much anticipated LG Nexus 5. Which is all good. It was released with a ton of new features, and among the new features one of them was, of course the equally anticipated and rumored Android 4.4 KitKat.

We were given a sneakpeak of Android 4.4 KitKat when Google put up a promotional video for it on video ,which incidentally also gave the world the first glimpse of the Nexus 5.

The Changes:

The main changes that you can notice the moment you unlock your phone are the changes done to the status bar and the system buttons on the bottom of the screen. You can easily notice that the status bar is transparent now instead of it being completely opaque. The system buttons also lie on a transparent background. It really gives the entire interface a clean finish.

Another phenomenal change is that the Touchless Control which we saw the first time we saw on the Moto X has been integrated into Android 4.4. But, it is currently available only in the Nexus 5. This function can be toggled by saying "Ok Google".

The dialer has also undergone a massive change. The change is that, if you receive a call from an unknown number, Google will basically act as a phonebook and automatically look-up the number on Google Maps and it will provide you the name associated with that number and will also provide you an image of that business. the new dialer app also organizes your contacts on the basis of who you have contacted the most.

The Tweaks:

The major tweak that Android 4.4 undergone is that, now Hangouts has been integrated with your SMS app which provides a more centralized system for all your messages.
Emoji have become very popular among the younger generation, so obviously Google has provided the option to insert Emoji into your texts just about anywhere.
You can also print documents on your phone via an HP ePrint Printer without any wires, provided the printer that your using is connected to Google Cloud Print.
Another tweak can easily be noticed if you are playing music. The artwork of the song which you are playing will appear in the background of your lockscreen.
From now on, if you are reading a book/magazine or playing a game Android will portray that on the entire screen without any system buttons or your status bar; and you can get back your status bar and your system buttons by taping on the screen.
This used to be quite a hindrance since in the older versions of Android you had to shut down the app you were using to check your notifications.

The System Changes:

The root system has also undergone a couple of changes.
Google has stated on the official KitKat page that they have provided new Ultra-Fast Wi-Fi connectivity which provides better Data Transfer.

Android 4.4 KitKat will also provide lower end smartphones a feature which resembles NFC but is not exactly NFC. This will open several new options pertaining to NFC to plenty of lower end smartphones.
Other changes in connectivity include support for Bluetooth MAP.
Support for the recently launched ChromeCast is also a new addition.

Compatibility:

Google has stated that Android 4.4 KitKat will support all phones running Android provided that they have a minimum RAM of 512 MB.

However Google has stated that the Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will not receive the 4.4 update which kind of removes the "Nexus" part from the devices.

The Verdict:

Android 4.4 KitKat will definitely provide Android with those next 1 billion users that it is aiming for, provided that manufacturers get the compatibility clause right and manage to successfully provide lower end smartphones the same experience that one would get on higher end devices.

 Google should also make sure that the 4.4 update will be put out in time.
All in all we think that this is a really neat, clean and refreshing new look given to Android and it will be a good thing for Google if it manages to play the cards right.

So that's our review on the newly revealed Android 4.4 KitKat.
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You can head over to the official page for Android 4.4 KitKat by clicking here.

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(Video From MKBHD)

Sarthak J Shetty
Editor In Chief

Nexus 5-It's Finally Here

LG Nexus 5-The Most Anticipated Phone Of 2013:

Yes, waiting till midnight in anticipation for the new LG Nexus 5 has finally paid off. My mouth literally began to froth when that mail stating that the new Nexus had been launched appeared on my Notification shade. Google announced the device and is already flying off shelves. So lets take a look at the device.

Display:

Oh My God! The Nexus 5 has an amazing display which is right up with the display's of other high end devices. It features a 4.95 inch screen with a 1920x1080 resolution with a pixel density of 445 ppi (Wow, just Wow). The screen is Full HD. It looks amazing on video. The screen is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 3. The screen is one of the biggest upgrades from last year's Nexus phone, and it will be one of this year's biggest selling points.

Internal Specs:

Every year, people don't expect a "Nexus" device to have high-end specs especially considering their price point at around $299-$349 but this year all of that has changed, not only with the Nexus 7 but with the Nexus 5. The chipset on-board is Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800, which features a 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Krait CPU. The chip responsible for rendering graphics is an Adreno 330. The RAM on-board amounts to 2 GB. With these specs this phone is a flagship and it is undoubtedly one of THE best phones of 2013-2014 (alongside most leaked and most anticipated).

Operating System:

Android KitKat 4.4 (stay tuned for the review) goes official with the Nexus 5 being the first device to feature it. It includes hundreds of new updates, including Touch-less control, Ultra fast Wi-Fi and also a neat feature which acts as a Pseudo-NFC function which lets devices lacking NFC mimic NFC even though its not exactly NFC.

It also includes several incremental upgrades regarding the appearance of the homescreens mainly the status bar has been made cleaner since it is transparent and also the system button's background has been made fully transparent and also the blog post on KitKat has also stated that there is change in the font.

Battery:

The battery onboard is Non-Removable with a capacity of 2300 mAh. The battery is a Li-Po. It offers 17 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby.

Camera:

The primary camera on the back features an 8 mega-pixel sensor with Optical Image Stabilization which is an interesting add-on considering that this device has a really low price point considering its specifications. The secondary camera on front has a 1.3 MP sensor to capture selfies all day.
It can also shoot 1080p video.

Connectivity:

The biggest leap from last years Nexus 4 in terms of connectivity is the fact that this year's Nexus features a 4G LTE band. The Wi-Fi also has a special feature and Google has stated that it will provide Ultra-Fast connectivity. It is also enabled with wireless charging capabilities without the need of an external case or receiver. It also has Bluetooth 4.0 LE.
It also features the SlimPort technology which acts as a receiver for a mini HDMI cable.

Accessories:

Yes, it is Google's "resolution" this year that it will sell certified accessories made by Google itself to ensure that it is a perfect fit for your device. There are 2 types of cases available for the Nexus 5. One is a bumper type case and the other, is a flip case which covers the Nexus 5 entirely. The bumper case is available in white, yellow, red and black.

Price And Color:

The Nexus 5 is retailing for about $349 for the 16 GB model off contract and goes all the way upto $399 for the 32 GB model. As of enough the 16 GB model is already sold out, whereas the 32 GB model is shipping from the warehouse after 3 or more weeks.
The Nexus 5 is available in 2 colors that is black and white and is available as of right know from the Google Play Store and you can purchase it from here.

You can check out more information about Nexus 5 here.
You can check out more information of Android KitKat here.

So that's our review on the LG Nexus 5, stay tuned for the hands-on video of the Nexus 5 and also for the review on Android 4.4 KitKat.
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(Video 1 From The Verge)

Sathak J Shetty
Editor In Chief

Nexus 5-In The Rumor Mill Again

LG Nexus 5-Most Anticipated Device Of 2013 ?

The Nexus 5 has got to be this years most highly anticipated and the most leaked phone. Everyday my News Feed is filled with more and more leaks. Even my YouTube subscriptions are posting about the Nexus 5.

It all began when a promotional video for Android KitKat was posted by Google on YouTube. The video basically showed us the giant Android character resembling the popular chocolate treat being posted in Google's Head-Quarters at Mountain View, California. But if the video is looked at more carefully we can see an individual holding a phone with the "Nexus" branding imprinted horizontally, which we already have seen previously in the Nexus 7.


Immediately after this was noticed the Tech Community went nuts and screenshots of this moment began popping up everywhere on the Internet.
This device was leaked to the extent that it even briefly appeared in Google's Play Store. And of course it was taken down some time later.
After a few hours this video was taken down from YouTube by Google (obviously).
After the initial sighting of the mystery device, many renders were posted by a variety of websites. And soon later even leaks of the Nexus 5 emerged oddly enough, clearly confirming that a new Nexus was in the making, and yes it will be made by LG who were also responsible for making last years highly successful Nexus 4.

The release of this device was further concretized by the fact that several different types of cases made specifically for the Nexus 5 have already made their way to several web-sites.

So that's our thoughts on the yet be released LG Nexus 5.
Be sure to +1 this post on Google Plus as it most definitely helps us out.

You can also check out a lot more news about the Nexus 5 by heading over to TechnoBuffalo's page on it which you can get to by clicking here.

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(Video From MKBHD)

Sarthak J Shetty
Editor In Chief