Android 4.4: An Evolution, Not A Revolution

Android 4.4: An Evolution, Not A Revolution

good Android is right now. After years of flux and one or two failed experiments (Honeycomb, anyone?), Google's mobile operating system has finally found its feet, and looks and performs better than ever.

In fact, there's an excellent case for this being the best mobile OS on the market right now. Android offers power, flexibility, customisation and much more besides. Version 4.4 may not have the headline-grabbing upgrades that previous iterations have boasted, but that matters little, because what we have here is a world-leading platform, and the subtle tweaks performed by Google prove that the company has finally gotten the hang of creating a good OS and evolving it, rather than needlessly tearing up the rulebook with each update.

And beyond this there’s plenty else to get excited about. Things like KitKat’s ability to run on fumes – 512MB of RAM and 1GHz CPUs, for instance – is a huge boon for OEMs and consumers alike. From now on there’s no excuse for new handsets not to run on the latest iteration of Google’s Android software.

What’s more Google has apparently passed down a new Android Bull, which specifically decrees that all new Android devices MUST run on the latest build of Android. And if OEMs don’t play ball they’re likely to get more than a slap on the wrist, too:

“Starting February 2014, Google will no longer approve GMS distribution on new Android products that ship older platform releases. Each platform release will have a “GMS approval window” that typically closes nine months after the next Android platform release is publicly available. (In other words, we all have nine months to get new products on the latest platform after its public release.)  The policy could only mean good things, especially for the smartphone user.”

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