Android 4.4 KitKat appears to be a much larger update than many expected, and one interesting feature in the operating system is the introduction of an emoji keyboard.
Before Android 4.4, which is new on the recently released Nexus 5 smartphone, the emoji keyboard was a feature most associated with the iPhone and iOS operating system. Android users could only access emojis through third-party keyboards; however, when texting an emoji from an iPhone to an Android phone, emojis would not show on Android’s non-compatible messenger. Until now, the only way to successfully share emojis across platforms was through third-party apps like Google Hangouts.
Now, Android users have “emoji everywhere,” as described by Google. Currently, only the Nexus 5 officially has Android 4.4, but the OS is expected to roll out on other Google branded devices including the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, as well as the Google Play Editions Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.
Unfortunately, one Nexus device, the Galaxy Nexus, will not get the emoji keyboard as it will not update to Android 4.4. The story goes that the Galaxy Nexus is incompatible with Android 4.4 due to it including a chip manufactured by Texas Instruments. This chip no longer has support from Texas Instruments as the company no longer develops smartphone chips.
Other devices expected to update to Android 4.4 KitKat include the Moto X, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx and Droid Mini. In addition, Google’s “Project Svelte” has optimized Android 4.4 to be compatible with a host of devices, including those with as little as 512MB RAM. This means many low-end devices will also have the opportunity to update to Android 4.4. However, it will still ultimately be up to OEMs to decide which devices will update to Android 4.4.
Currently, many of the most popular devices on the market are now beginning to roll our Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. So it may be many months before many of the market favorites update to Android 4.4.
Are you glad Android 4.4 KitKat brings emoji to Android devices? Let us know in the comments below.
Follow me on Twitter @FionnaatIBT.
Android 4.4 KitKat Release Date Arrives: New Emoji Keyboard Hits Upgraded OS
No comments:
Post a Comment