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Android 4.4 makes appearance in Korean Google keyboard screenshot

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Android 4.4 Key Lime Pie KitKat Nexus tablet

It was in the video of the Nexus 5 left unattended in a bar that we got our first glimpse of Android 4.4 KitKat. The video seemingly confirmed rumors that Google would finally do away with Android’s famous cyan blue Holo theme in favor of a standard white/grey color scheme.

Android 4.4 4.3 debug icons

Android 4.4’s more more neutral theme is making another appearance, this time in Google’s Play Store listing for their official Korean keyboard app (it’s since been removed). Screenshots of the app running on a tablet show, not only the new muted icons, but a tiny debug icon in the shape of Key Lime Pie (FYI, Android 4.1-4.3 is the cute little Jelly Bean pictured left).

You may be asking yourself why a slice of key lime pie, and not a KitKat? Well, in an interview with the BCC, Google’s Director of Global Partnerships John Lagerling mentioned that Google’s deal with Nestle to name Android 4.4 KitKat blindsided even a good portion of the Android team, who was already using Key Lime Pie internally. Gotta hand it to Google, they really did an amazing job at keeping KitKat a secret.

While this latest “leak” offers no confirmation that Android KitKat will feature user customizable colored Holo themes, we’ll hopefully find out more once Android 4.4 KitKat — along with the Nexus 5 — makes its rumored debut next month. Side note: the time on the clock shows 10/7, but we’ll let you guess at its implications. Cheers.

[Google Korean IME on Google Play | via AndroidPolice]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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69 Comments

  1. I like it.

  2. I’ve always enjoyed the blue color scheme.

    1. Agreed although the grey does look nice too.

      1. White/grey will become the “new blue”.

        1. ^ he’s got a point

    2. I liked it too but sometimes it didn’t really match my wallpaper well.

  3. when the color is blue it means you have internet connectivity, when its gray it means you’re connected to something…….. but you have no internet connectivity….. I hope they don’t take this away so that you cannot tell the difference.

    1. I always thought blue means you are connected to google servers. White means you only have internet connectivity.

      1. you are correct

      2. this is what I thought as well.. when I was a noob in flashing roms, I couldn’t hold any connection to Google Play services and the thing is grey instead of blue. I had HSPA+ or Wi-Fi though.

  4. We better not see a delay in 4.4 and/or Nexus 5 cause they have to change those KLP icons to damn kitkat bars..

    *Google programmer changes KLP icon to KitKat bar*

    ……..
    *Google crashes*

    *Zombie Apocalypse begins*

    1. I hope they leave the KLP icon as an Easter egg for us fans :-)

  5. So no more HoloYolo blue? I like the blue theme.

    1. lol holo yolo… what da hell is yolo anyway? i hear kids saying this.

      1. You.Only.Live
        Once. But I think Chris started the HoloYolo movement.

        1. lol owls?

  6. The time is 10:07
    10/07
    7th of October (Using american date format)
    So the 7th of October is the date for Android KitKat 4.4/Nexus 4 release

    #logic

      1. /sarcasm

    1. So Jelly bean came out on the 44th of Novemebr?!?

      #logicfail

    2. American date format is actually October 7th

      1. That’s what he said…? /boggle

        1. He edited it so it’s fixed now. You came a lil’ late…

        2. Malik’s right.. I edited it :3

  7. I’ve gotten used to Grey meaning no connectivity

    1. That is a GREAT point.

    2. You have sprint too?

      1. xD

        Holy Jesus on a pogo stick… That is the hardest I laughed all week! Well done.

      2. Ugh, so sad and true. 4G is so random. Driving through Nixon, Texas I saw 18MB downloads. Just a random test for me and I’m like, “Really Sprint, Nixon F’n Texas???”

    3. Same sentiment I share. Using my Nexus 10, I know I need to reset my WiFi when the signal indicator isn’t blue. White/Gray would throw me off.

      1. Maybe red or yellow should indicate “problem”.

        1. I could go with yellow for weak signal and red for no signal.

      2. Ive had white for the whole time with my ONE, the wifi signal is indicated by the amount of bars on the signal itself just like on the phone signal indicator.

    4. Good point.

      Maybe the screenshot is of a device with no connectivity and grey isn’t the new color scheme.

      If I have no internet the icons are grey, so maybe the author has it wrong.

      1. Never mind the battery and clock are still blue without internet.

  8. I hope they keep the Key Lime Pie icon. I really think the KitKat thing is dumb, just my humble opinion.

  9. I love the blue! I will really miss it if this is true. Blue is my favorite color. Plus I’ve come to being used to get meaning I’m not synced to Google

  10. Noooo not grey, I hope the will ad a option to customize the colours on your phone or ad different themes that is one of the reasons why use a custom rom I like to change themes.

    1. I think we’ll have that option.

  11. I prefer the Holo theme, especially compared to the crap green Samsung has on its phones.

  12. I want a copy and paste shortcut like on swype

    1. And I want long press accelerated backspace functionality

      1. Get swiftkey, that is the best keyboard for android imho. You can modify long press and a bunch of other settings with in the keyboard. I love it.

        1. I have all the versions of SwiftKey even like Babel, Cloud Beta etc including the original paid version.. Appreciate the suggestion though. Interestingly, Swype, my favorite, doesn’t support customizing the long press duration.

  13. I don’t like the all gray as we can’t tell if we have a crappy connection to WiFi or network.

    1. Youll still be able to tell, by how many bars there are on the wifi symbol. My HTC One doesnt have the blue color on my notification bar, its just white actually.

      1. I should have specified. On my Nexus 4 when I’m connected to my routers but have no actual internet it shows gray. Also when my mobile data is first enabled the tower connects but I have no actual data for a few seconds, gray as well. Once I’m fully connected it’s blue.

        If it goes gray all the time there’s no way to tell the difference and we have to assume we’re connected but just ‘slow’.

        1. So do you not believe they will compensate for the color change?

          1. I’m sure they will, but white and gray does not cut it.

  14. I still like the blue. Heck, I still love and use the phase beam wallpaper!

    1. I like the way it looks but the fps on it is so bad plus the circles just appear instead of sliding into view.

  15. Oppa Gangnam style?

  16. Can they please just fix the bugs in 4.3 they put on my Nexus 4. I can barely even use my phone, its become a $349 paperweight. PLEASE GOOGLE FIX THE REBOOT AND SIGNAL BUGS.

    1. I am using 4.3 on my Verizon GNex and on my OG Nexus 7 and they both run great.

      1. i have no idea whats going on with my nexus 4? it was working fine on 4.2.2, and then suddenly starts malfunctioning on 4.3

        1. Have you considered downgrading it back to 4.2.2?

        2. I had almost the same problem after the upgrade. Eventually the phone swollen and the case was separated along with the screen and back cover. In my case the device was laggy and overheating plus powering down and rebooting. It turned out to be the battery and the heat caused the lag and power downs from the throttling/overheat protection.

          I guess it was a coincidence that it happened after the 4.3 update. However I had one of the first nexus 4s. The replacement works better and cooler which is the new version with the nubs.

          1. so if i replace the battery i should be fine? cause i have a replacement battery i bought when i first bought the phone.

          2. If it is the battery and you bought the phone from Google then you should have a 1 year warranty on the device. Just contact Google Play support and they might replace the device free of charge.

            When I had the lag and the power downs they offered to replace my device but I waited thinking it was software related. When the battery expanded and started separating the seams of the device I knew it was time to take them up on the offer.

            So shoot them a email, it can’t hurt.

    2. I have my Nexus 4 with 4.3 , no lag and no signal bugs. I have it on my Telcel Carrier in Mexico. so far the greatest phone.

  17. I hope the color schemes are a choice for the end user. (Between Android Blue or Android Grey or something else.)

    1. rumors are you can change the color of the ui…possible rbg would be sick

  18. 10:07…i love google…seriously

  19. How are they going to do the glow that shows when you’re at the end of a screen in white?

  20. Is Google messing with us? why is there a icon of a keylimepie on kitkat unless its not really going to be kitkat and its all just a joke >.>

    1. did you even read the article? the answer is in there!

  21. Hmmm… want this on my nexus 7!:) lol

  22. They better have an option to continue using the cyan theme. The cyan holo theme is one of my favorite parts of Android.

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