test Android Kit Kat leak shows off new interface

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 11 Oct 2013

o needs a launch event when everything leaks online ahead of time?

though is expected to announce Android 4.4 Kit Kat the Nexus 5 next Tuesday, Android blog Tutto Android seems to have beaten the big G to the punch. The site posted on Friday what appear to be photos of the Nexus 5 running the latest version of Android, as well as a short rundown of some of the most prominent new features included in the update.

Tutto Android
Android 4.4 reportedly has a new app drawer.

According to the report, Android 4.4 Kit Kat boasts a new home screen, lock screen, app drawer—all of which seem to borrow elements from Apple’s iOS 7.

The blue Holo theme that’s been present since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Swich has been dramatically toned down, the blue coloring has been replaced with an off-white for the menu bar app drawer.

Certain app icons, such as the one, have been revamped look sharper, there’s a new app labelled “ otos” that seems to have replaced the Gallery app we have today.

The phone itself is fast responsive, but the software is still buggy. Tutto Android notes that Android 4.4 Kit Kat doesn’t feel as resource heavy as previous versions of the OS—good news for those who worry about how the update will affect the performance of their current devices.

There appears to be some form of optical image stabilization (OIS) in the camera, the phone has two stereo speakers located on its bottom edge.

Another interesting feature of note is that Now can now be accessed by swiping left on the left-most home screen. The report also suggests that the Touchless controls we saw on the Moto X are present on the Nexus 5, but didn’t reveal much more information on the matter.

The visual improvements to Android are welcome, it’ll be interesting to see how Kit Kat plays with older Android phones lucky enough to see the update. So far most of the rumors surrounding the Nexus 5 have been extraordinarily lackluster, ’s going to need an ace up its sleeve if it wants people to get excited about its new toys.