The latest version of Android is called KitKat, and without a doubt it's the tastiest Android flavor to date.
Overall, the changes are not that visually radical in comparison with transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7.
Yet it's a step forth, which is full of internal optimizations.
The Nexus 5 is the first device that will benefit from all upgrades of KitKat - and excluding countless improvements for users, there are a lot of new features and upgrades for software developers.
Let's have a brief overview of some of them.
- The general improvements are usual for the latest Android versions - the OS is getting faster and smarter.
It was also stated that KitKat aims at reduction of memory use wherever possible.
That's why KitKat is stated to be smooth on entry-level devices with as little as 512MB RAM.
For mobile developers it means that memory-consuming features can be modified or disabled to keep apps smooth and responsive on lower-performance smartphones, which are abundant in the Android universe.
- Procstats is a brand new tool for keeping track of memory resources usage within the app.
Especially useful for apps that launch services that run in the background.
Yet another great feature for monitoring the efficiency of the application and the RAM usage.
- Android 4.
4 has a new storage access framework that can be used for browsing, reading, and editing files across various storage providers.
Many cloud and local storage providers have integrated their services into the framework.
All this can be tied to custom mobile applications.
- Another interesting feature is the full-screen immersive mode, which allows apps to use the whole screen for capturing touch events.
User interfaces now can as well occupy the whole screen, hiding the system elements, such as status bar.
Although many Android smartphones are famous for large screens, this feature will not be useless.
What's more, no needless UI elements brings no distraction to users while they enjoy the content.
- KitKat offers more capabilities for wireless printing over Wi-Fi and cloud services.
The new printing framework enables new opportunities for custom applications: searching for available printers, sending various types of images and documents for printing, changing paper sizes and choosing the needed pages for printing - native support is available for building into specific apps.
- NFC makes the next step for various payments, card access, loyalty programs, and other transactions.
They are conducted via Host Card Emulation (HCE), and any Android application can become an NFC smart card - or become a reader for such cards.
Printer manufacturers are also enabled to develop specific print services, while developers can build them into apps.
Most KitKat devices will have such services associated with printing as Google Cloud Print, Google Drive, Gallery, QuickOffice, and Google Chrome.
- Sensor batching is another feature that optimizes power consumption, which is crucial for apps connected with health & fitness, location-based, and many more apps requiring constant running for long periods of time.
There are two new sensors (step detector and step counter), which are built into hardware and supported by the platform for lower power consumption.
Looking at the most interesting new features brought by the new taste of Android, we can say for sure that the OS becomes tastier all the time.
Among other new features for developers are Chromium WebView, enhanced notification access, new connectivity features (new Bluetooth profiles, support for built-in IR blasters, Wi-Fi TDLS support), and expanded media capabilities.
You may find more detailed info on the KitKat developer page.
Now as Android is ready to step into the New Year with a brand new face, you can be the one to taste it at its freshest, be you a user, a developer, or a software owner.