Two things struck me with Android 4.4 KIT KAT release. One is its reverse compatibility upto Android 2.3 and the other is the FREE Launcher it will be featuring on it. Upto most of the Android updates starting from Gingerbread were not compatible with each other due to the resources used by the later versions of Android. However with Android 4.4 KIT KAT, Google has been able to keep a check on the resource usage and which ultimately means that any smart phone or tablet with a 512MB RAM will be able to run the KIT KAT on its system. This way Google's dream of having a universal OS will come true and all users will now get the top of the line features like Google Now (Personal Digital Assistant) on their smart phone.
I will write a full review of Android 4.4 KIT KAT where I will cover the full OS piece by piece and feature by feature. As of now KIT KAT is only available for Google Nexus 5 manufactured by LG of Korea. One of the few features that have been successfully ported to other devices is the free LAUNCHER that will come with Android 4.4 KITKAT. Now you dont have to download third party launchers for your smart phone and be worried about rooting, permissions and access as Google's default Free Launcher is a nice feature to have.
XDA Forums publisher Geoworld_200 has ported this App to his LG Optimus Pro running on Android 4.3. He has also successfully tested the Launcher on devices running of Android 4.2 and they came out ok. Some users have successfull run the App on Android 4.1 as well but be warned that you may have to uninstall the App if its unsuccessful.
You can download the APK from here or here and try it out at your own risk. The instructions for installing the zip file are as follows :
1. Download the zip file from below.
2. Extract the zip and place the apks on your phone
3. Install PrebuiltGmsCore.apk
4. Install Velvet.apk
5. Install GoogleHome.apk
6. Press home button, select the launcher and enjoy!
I am leaving you with a nice video of Android 4.4 Kit Kat released by Android Authority.
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