Android 4.4 Kat Experience Results

In 2011, Google released the Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system, in which some of the design elements appearing in the tablet began to slowly migrate to the mobile phone. Over the past two years, we have witnessed a rapid upgrade of the mobile platform: the system has become more complete and has added some important new features, but we have not been waiting for the 5.0 version of the update. Google believes that the 4.x system is already a "mature" system-no need to develop new core features and design styles, and what engineers need to do now is to make sure that the system works faster and more stably. And in the Android 4.4 "Kat", this trend also continues.

Kat could be Google's biggest attempt at moving the future: better information notifications, seamless intelligent cloud systems, and affordable equipment. What will happen to these ambitious plans for the future?

Design for Excellence

Looking at the major manufacturers ' operating systems, Android's design is clearly simpler and clearer. However, Google in this version of the system is another big step in the reform, the entire system to add transparency, while the original system interface to replace the black outside the translucent white outline. This change makes the entire operating system fresher.

The icon in the mobile status bar changed from the original blue style to the present white. The status bar itself is also transparent, rendering the background of the wallpaper or the corresponding application interface directly. By hiding the status bar and the button bar, Google also makes it easier to use Full-screen. It's time to see how developers can take advantage of these new features.

Before Android 4.4, the polish of the system UI interface was never so thorough, and this time the change really contained all the details of the system. For example, the new pop-up dial-up interface is significantly better to look at, and the button is the point of the animation effect of the time is also made more sophisticated. The change in clock application is most thorough, the UI interface is completely changed to a new face, and there is a new dial interface in time selection, this design first introduced Android in the calendar application earlier this year. The overall UI interface is still "Android," but it is more balanced and more natural. In addition, font performance has been improved.

Ready to stand on the starter

Many users may not be able to spot the change in the corner of the Kat, but you can't ignore the new launcher launcher in Nexus 5, which is probably the biggest change in Android 4.4. It seems to have become a microcosm of Google's Nexus series of strategies: Google as it is.

The biggest change in functionality for new launcher is the full integration of Google Now. Now, the user just needs to move to the right of the main screen to exhale from Google, and of course you can use the previous method (moving up from the home key) to activate Google Now in the application interface. And as long as you are in the launcher, say "OK Google", the mobile phone will automatically enter voice search. This is similar to the previous Motorola release of the Moto X function. Unfortunately, this voice activation can only be done when the screen is lit, and users cannot set the machine to recognize only their own sound.

From the current trend, Google Now is undoubtedly a very important step in Google's future. Google said that in the new system, speech recognition ability increased by 25%. The Google now text recognition is more accurate than ever, and even if it has a problem with the identification, you can correct it by clicking on the modified text. Google can also choose the pages you want to browse according to your location.

The biggest change in Google Now is yet to come. Google is working with developers to allow them to scan content within the developer app, which means that Google now has the ability to open apps directly through your operations, rather than just searching the Web page as it is today. Of course it's just a small start, with about 10 partners, including the famous restaurant reservation application OpenTable.

Google also believes that the big screen of the Nexus 5 should also be equipped with a larger icon. Now that the list of applications is more concise, the list of Plug-ins is canceled. If you want to add a plug-in for the main screen, then you need to be in the primary screen interface long Press to call out the plug-in selection. After understanding the series of changes, we also need to be aware that, so far, these changes are only used for Nexus 5. Whether it is Kat good change or bad change, it can only be applied to Nexus 5. So Nexus 5 can be called a well-deserved "Google Phone".

Hangouts

In Kat, Hangouts also got a big boost--finally fused SMS transceiver function. In fact, Hangouts has replaced the original default "message" Application, of course, users can also choose to download the Third-party SMS application to replace its function.

But it also brings drawbacks. Google forces you to bind your SMS service to Google's account-if you have exactly two Google accounts, you need to remember which messages are in each account. Worse still, SMS conversations and Hangouts dialogues are not in the same interface-they are locked in their own fixed positions. At this point, Apple's imessage is obviously going to do better, and it automatically aligns text messages with imessage. As for the problems in Hangouts, Google told me that engineers were working to solve the problem. "We will gradually enhance the use of SMS in the Hangouts experience." "Now the user can set up a separate setting for the SMS ringtone, which distinguishes it from the hangouts message," he said. Google's hangouts layout is unclear, but it seems most likely to be a competitor to imessage.

Overall, the integration of SMS into the hangouts is only the first step, we look forward to Google for this application has a more practical improvement. For me, at least now the desktop is less than an application occupy space, it is good.

Telephone Application

Since launcher and SMS functions have been upgraded, the telephone function is no exception. The first list in the Telephony application is the contact number you dialed recently. In my use, this change is very useful, and the user can through the T9 keyboard for address Book Search, to tell the truth to Android native support this feature, I have been looking forward to too long.

Performance & Other

As for performance, I tested a large game such as Asphalt 8, from the actual performance, running Kat Nexus 5 really do the hardware and software integration optimization, the game performance is excellent.

In addition to performance improvements, Google has also implemented a program called "Project Svelte" via Kat, which means that the Android 4.4 system can be installed on devices that have low hardware configuration. Allowing only 512MB of memory to run the system, Google says the new system improves memory management. At the same time, developers developed the application now has "low memory" mode, when the device hardware configuration is detected poor, will automatically switch mode, improve performance.

Kat is faster and smoother than any previous version of the Android system. But this is thanks to Android 4.4 or the Nexus 5 equipped with the Ultra fast 骁丽 800 processor, we will give the answer after the other equipment upgrade.

Quickoffice is pre-installed in the Kat system, and the software has a fairly concise UI interface that, of course, is not functionally comparable to Apple's iwork suite. However, Quickoffice also has some problems, such as Google Drive can not open Google Docs.

In addition, the new "download app" becomes more attractive and easier to use, and Kat adds a new print function. With the Google Print Service, users can print PDF files directly locally. Although I never expected to see this feature in the mobile system, Google's move shows that it wants Kat to be a fully functional operating system.

On the touch screen and feedback, I found that the accuracy of the keyboard input is significantly higher than before, while the keyboard supports the emoji expression; in the album function, the editing function is enhanced, while the photo application increases the hdr+ mode; Google's wallet response rate has also improved.

Summary

For Android 4.4 Kat, the keyword is "finishing" and "polishing", whether from the launcher launcher, or to the application, everything becomes more beautiful and easier to use.

We can think of Android 4.4 Kat as the biggest change in the Android system in nearly two years. But the premise is that these features need to be popularized to all Android models, rather than just Nexus 5 exclusive.

From today, Kat will officially merge with Google. Although it is not known when the system can be applied to other devices, but if the user is not too concerned about the problem, but the real experience of Google's operating system and its services, then Kat can be said to be a radiant excellent operating system, for the era of the pursuit of the same as iOS 7.