Android 4.4.4 KitKat Update Breakdown (Round Two)

A few weeks ago, Google rolled out a surprise Android 4.4.4 KitKat update to replace the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update it rolled out in early June. In the weeks since the start of the roll out, we’ve seen Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates roll out and we’ve seen Android 4.4.4 KitKat details continue to emerge. With that in mind, we want to take another look at the most important information regarding Google’s brand new Android 4.4 KitKat update.

After weeks and weeks of rumor and speculation, Google finally delivered its highly anticipated Android 4.4.3 KitKat update in early June, on the same day that Apple announced its brand new iOS 8 update. The update, which was expected to be a bug fix update aimed at tackling Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems, initially pushed out to Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 5 users before spreading to other devices in the days after.

In late June, Google surprised everyone when it replaced Android 4.4.3 KitKat with a new Android 4.4.4 KitKat update. Android 4.4.4 KitKat, like Android 4.4.3 KitKat, delivers fixes for Android 4.4.2 KitKat but it also comes with some useful security patches attached to it. Initially, Android 4.4.4 KitKat was limited to a few Nexus devices but the update has finally started to spread to owners of various Android devices.

In the days since the start of the Android 4.4.4 KitKat roll out, we’ve seen updates push out, we’ve seen new concrete details emerge and we’ve seen Android 4.4.4 KitKat rumors spark interest amongst the Android community. We’ve also unfortunately also seen Android 4.4.4 KitKat problems emerge in the aftermath of the roll out.

Here, we take a look at all of these details and offer another detailed look at Android 4.4.4 KitKat, an update that very well could be the last upgrade Android users see before the arrival of Google’s heavy duty Android L update later this year.

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Updates

Android 4.4.4 KitKat has been rolling out since late June and we’ve already seen it land for a number of devices including the Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 10, Moto G Google Play Edition, LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition, HTC One M8 Google Play Edition, HTC One M7 Google Play Edition, Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, and the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. Believe or not, this is an extremely strong push on Google’s end.

The HTC One M8 GPe and HTC One M7 GPe Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates are the most recent of the bunch and owners of these devices should see the update become available within the next week or so, if not today. Android 4.4.4 KitKat will be a small update for these devices and we don’t anticipate the roll out taking very long at all.

One Android 4.4.4 KitKat update that remains missing in action is the Nexus 7 LTE Android 4.4.4 KitKat update. In fact, Nexus 7 LTE owners are apparently still in the midst of an Android 4.4.3 KitKat update roll out. While we expect Google to deliver Android 4.4.4 KitKat for the cellular model, it’s not clear when the update might push out. Android 4.4.3 KitKat arrived weeks after the other updates just as Android 4.4.4 KitKat pushed out.

HTC’s Mo Versi, VP of Product Management, says that the company will be rolling out Android 4.4.3 or Android 4.4.4 KitKat with fixes and security features to the HTC One M7 in the U.S. While he doesn’t say it, this likely means that the current HTC One, the HTC One M8, will also be getting Android 4.4.3 or Android 4.4.4 KitKat at some point down the road.

Finally, as we’ve noted several times, Motorola’s David Schuster recently confirmed Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates for the Droid Maxx, Droid Ultra and Droid Mini. All three of these devices will be skipping Android 4.4.3. He said several weeks ago that users were looking at a four to five week wait which means that the wait might be over in just a couple of weeks.

Motorola also says that it’s working to roll out Android 4.4.4 KitKat to other devices but that it’s going to take time.

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Rumors

In addition to these roll outs, we’ve heard a number of Android 4.4.4 KitKat rumors that point to several updates coming down the road.

HTC ROM developer and leakster LLabTooFeR claims that both the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates should arrive before the Android L update later this year. He claims that the release window is July to August and that both updates have been confirmed. He too believes that there is a chance that HTC will skip to Android 4.4.4.

It appears that Android 4.4.4 KitKat will also roll out for the HTC One Dual SIM, the HTC One E8 and the HTC One mini 2. All three of these updates are supposedly going to roll out within the same August to September time frame though specific dates for all of these updates remains unclear.

Unfortunately, the unofficial schedule did not confirm plans for devices like the HTC One Max or HTC One Mini, two of HTC’s devices from last year. Both are expected to get Android L so Android L could perhaps be the next in line for owners of those two devices.

Rumors also pointed to Android 4.4.3 KitKat updates for the Samsung Galaxy S5 in June and the Galaxy S4 LTE-A in June. Samsung clearly missed the first target so it’s not clear when it might roll these two updates out. It could be that the company went back to the lab after the release of Android 4.4.4, something that would certainly delay the release (just look at Motorola) so it’s possible that we could see both updates emerge in the form of Android 4.4.4 later this year.

As we’ve pointed out, Galaxy owners are complaining about a myriad of Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems and those could be the catalyst for future upgrades to the company’s version of Android 4.4 KitKat. Only time will tell.

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Reviews

We’ve been using Android 4.4.4 KitKat for a few days now and we’ve found it to be a stable update on the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and the Nexus 5. Those that are looking for some serious literature on Android 4.4.4 KitKat will want to check out our full reviews.

• Android 4.4.4 KitKat on Nexus 4 Review
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat on Nexus 5 Review
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat on Nexus 7 Review

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Problems

Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems aren’t the only issues impacting Android users. Android 4.4.4 KitKat problems have emerged in the days since the update’s release and while they don’t appear to be as widespread or as devastating as Android 4.4.2 KitKat issues, users are certainly running into some kinks inside Google’s new software.

Google’s product forums are littered with complaints about Android 4.4.4 KitKat. We took a look at many of these complaints back in June but since then, we’ve seen a number of new problems emerge as the update has hit more users and more devices.

Nexus 5 owners are complaining about bad battery life. Nexus 7 owners are running into Wi-Fi issues inside Android 4.4.4. Nexus 5 owners are encountering keyboard lag, Nexus 4 owners are bringing up issues with the dialer, and Nexus 7 users say that they’ve run into random reboots after replacing Android 4.4.3 KitKat with Android 4.4.4. This is just a small sample of the issues, the forums are littered with plenty of other complaints.

Android 4.4.4 users that are having problems should keep an eye on the product forums. Google employees and moderators will often issue temporary fixes. One of those fixes is to be boot the device into safe mode in order to isolate issues with third-party apps. Third-party apps have a tendency to cause problems after an update.

If nothing works, it might be worth performing a full factory reset. Just make sure to back up files before performing it.

What’s Next?

It’s not clear. While Google could perhaps roll out an Android 4.4.5 KitKat update to solve some of the issues inside Android 4.4.4 KitKat, it’s not guaranteed. We’ve already seen more updates than we expected to see for Android 4.4 so there is a very good chance that Google will simply get to work on the Android L release and include bug fixes with it.

Android L, unfortunately, isn’t expected to debut until much later in the year, perhaps in the fourth quarter alongside a new Nexus 8 tablet. While we hope that users dealing with issues won’t have to wait that long, Android 4.4.4 KitKat users must live with the possibility.