Android 4.4 KitKat Makes its Way to Google Play Edition Devices

We’re coming up on almost a month since the Nexus 5’s Halloween debut which, in typical Nexus fashion, also brought with it the latest version of Android. As usual, early adopters of Google’s new device were able to enjoy Android 4.4 KitKat exclusively for a time, but the rest of the Google-supported family should, at this point, also have access to the new update, delivered over the air (OTA).

The Google Play editions of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and the HTC One were the last to get the update, following the Nexus tablets, the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, and last year’s Nexus phone, the Nexus 4.

For those not in the know, Google Play editions are identical to the original counterparts released by their respective manufacturers with two major exceptions: They come loaded up with stock Android, complete with timely updates straight from Google, and they are only available off-contract from the Google Play store. Of course, the Galaxy S4 and HTC One are premium devices without compromise, unlike Nexus phones, so they come at a much heftier price.

All of the above devices should now have access to KitKat and all the many improvements it brings, including a refined UI and better low-end device support — though the latter feature hardly applies to any of these devices. Perhaps most notably is the fact that KitKat allows users to send and receive SMS messages from within the Google Hangouts app for a more unified messaging experience.

The latest version of Android also offers an improved dialer app which includes an improved caller ID option that leverages Google Maps and Google Plus to give more complete information. It also has a new interface that makes the people you call most often more prominent and easily available.

Aside from Google Play Edition phones and the range of Nexus devices, Motorola’s Moto X has also received the KitKat update.