By Last week, Motorola started notifying users about a new soak test for an upgrade that would be headed to handsets shortly. There was no indication as to what this upgrade could be, with the big camera fixing update having already been issued to folks across many different carriers. Well, we finally have a pretty good idea of what it is — it’s KitKat!
The latest information from Motorola’s feedback forums confirm as much. It’s interesting to note that this is for the Verizon version of the Moto X, which is pretty unreal: Big Red folks are usually always late to the party when it comes to major OS upgrades.
That the Moto X beat out the Nexus 4 and the Google Play Experience Galaxy S4 and HTC One is also noteworthy, though it’s imperative to remember that this is only a soak test. While Motorola didn’t expressly state that the rollout would happen today, they did say that folks should be seeing the OTA come in “very soon.”
With the release notes up and the subsection for the soak test created, we wouldn’t be surprised if Moto X users were enjoying a break before the sun went down tonight. We’ll be on the lookout for its arrival in the moments to come. Be sure to read on for the full release notes (which doesn’t really have many surprises other than official support for Square).
- Android™ 4.4, KitKat®: Android 4.4, KitKat, is the latest release of the Android platform. KitKat includes enhancements such as restyled status and navigation bars, a new full-screen mode, color emoji support, improved closed captioning support, stronger security, smarter power use, and more tools and capabilities for better app development.
- Phone dialer: Improved the phone app with the ability to look up contacts directly from the dial pad, see and tap frequent contacts, and search your corporate directory easily.
- Camera – Focus and exposure: Enhanced the “touch to focus” option with a new circular, on screen control that can be dragged by your finger around the viewfinder to adjust a photo’s focus and exposure.
- Gallery – Photo editing: Added new photo editing options to the Gallery app including new filter effects, draw on your photos, advanced cropping, and adjustments to color, exposure, contrast and more.
- Hangouts – SMS/MMS support: Incorporated a new version of Google Hangouts that supports integrated SMS/MMS messaging. Hangouts can be set as the default SMS app under Settings > Wireless > Default SMS app.
- Touchless Control – “Find my phone”: Added a new “Find my phone” command to Touchless Control. Just say “OK, Google Now—find my phone” and your Moto X will ring loudly to let you know where it’s hiding when you’ve misplaced it nearby.
- NFC – Host card emulation: Enhanced support for NFC Host Card Emulation (HCE), to improve experiences such as contactless payments, loyalty plans, transit passes, card access and more. [Editor’s note: this means we can use Google Now for tap-to-pay!]
- Accessory support: Added support for Square credit card reader
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That’s what Chrome OS needs, a camera RAW processor.
What about other carriers? Verizon can’t be the first to roll it out!
I just got my Verizon MotoX last night. This gave me a tingly sensation in my pants… Not saying where…
*Edit* kingarthur.txt
They took away the transparency on the bottom buttons bar! NOO WHYY PORQUEE?
I don’ think they did. They probably just replaced their custom solution with the kitkat transparency, which is enabled on an app by app basis. I suspect the device pictured is probably running a launcher app without the transparency. And if they don’t implement it in stock, you can always use Nova which has already done so.
Yea.. it’s a shame we have the transparency on the bottom bar right now on 4.2.2 and that on Kitkat they would take it away, I got the GEL launcher and found the icons bigger and the transparency gone, went back to the stock 4.2.2 right away.. muuuch better!
My point is that when we get the KitKat update, we’ll have access to the 4.4 transparency API for nav and notification bars. A launcher will have to implement that API properly (GEL for example) but it’ll ultimately be better than whatever proprietary API Motorola cobbled together for 4.2.2. If the stock launcher on KitKat doesn’t have transparency, it’ll only be because Motorola didn’t modify the AOSP launcher for 4.4 just like Google didn’t modify their stock launcher on the KitKat N7 images.
Are you stupid? The image is not running Kit Kat. That is still 4.2.2. Nobody has it yet, the only thing they did was confirm that it was coming soon.
I think I just peed a little.
i grew my first vagina
moto and vzw ftw! who’d a thunk it?
The support for this phone is proving to be top notch
They have to, with the immense money they’re getting from Google and the new expectations they are held now they’re making a comeback. They can’t risk losing any support.
Kinda annoying that Im in the tester group but havent got my update yet….any way to force it to pull update?
As a Droid Maxx owner, I am pleasantly surprised at how fast the camera update filtered its way down….I wonder if there was some specific language in the contract between Googs and VZW when they decided to keep the Droid brand name alive….?
Maybe Motorola threatened Verizon by not giving the update for the Droids if they don’t certify the updates for the Moto X first. This is truly unexpected.
“Google Now” for tap to pay and not “Google Wallet”?
Thanks for causing Motorola to delay the soak due to the leaked release notes.
Kik kat is out and ready to download