Android KitKat print documents via Wi-Fi, but lacks news - Digital Look

Finally the first Brazilian smartphones are getting Android 4.4, called KitKat. The Nexus 4, which receives updates directly from Google without relying on manufacturers obviously holds this post. But what actually changes to who gets the update?

The answer, unfortunately, is that not much changes. The vast majority of the news promised by Google for the new version of Android are limited to Nexus 5. Mobile phones, including the Nexus 4, will receive only minor updates. And for those who have other models, one can imagine that the changes become even more blurred between the different customizations of Android. Ie:. Most users will not take advantage of the maximum KitKat

But after all, what changes for those who do not have the Nexus 5? In our tests with the fourth version of the Nexus, we fix some layout changes. Icons Settings, Camera and Phone have been refurbished. Have icons status bar at the top of the device, where it is shown sign of cellular and Wi-Fi connection, are completely white. Previously, when connecting to some network, they turned blue to indicate connectivity, but this does not happen anymore.

A design change that was missing were the application folders, which are transparent in the Nexus 5 but still the Nexus 4 with black background. The same can be said about the bottom navigation bar, which was transparent in the new Google phone but remains black for the previous edition.

However, what really is needed is the launcher Google Experience, which “invokes” Google Now with a flick of your finger from left to right. Also you can not say “Ok, Google” to activate the application search to perform a quick search by voice.

Regarding performance, you can not complain. Although it is still early to spike numbers, a slight performance improvement was noticed after the upgrade, which alone would already be worth the update. Screen transitions and running applications become more agile, or at least passed this impression

What really changes:.’s Email app has been redesigned to suit the standard Gmail application, rather praised both Android as in iOS. The change is welcome, since the former was already quite outdated.

Another important change is that the application calls has been completely rebuilt and became one of the most interesting in relation to the market as a whole. Now he organizes your contacts by the numbers you call most and, in theory, allows you to search for numbers of locations near you. For example, you could type “pizza” and get the number of pizzerias nearby. The feature unfortunately did not work in our tests, but other sites have reported success in this mode of use.

Google also implemented some new features to make it more suitable for enterprise environments Android. One is that QuickOffice is now native to the operating system and Google Cloud Print that lets you print documents to the network printer directly from your device via Wi-Fi In our tests, both features worked perfectly.

In short, if you expect a completely new system, will leave disappointed. The upgrade is worth it for safety and performance. Its major modifications, for those who have a Nexus 5, happen under the hood. However, for those who want to have a bit more experience of KitKat, it is recommended to install an alternative launcher on your device.