Introducing, the Windows Phone 7 Android Project!
This project was launched by mobile enthusiasts to combine the ultimate mobile experience. The freedom of Android and the grace and elegance of Windows Phone 7. Anyone that has not used Windows Phone 7 is missing out on the sleek and beauty of the OS and the style of the applications. However, on the other hand, those that have used it will also notice the limitations and lack of apps that everyone is used to using.
With the WP7Android applications, you can pick and choose how much WP7 that you want on your device. This is not an all or nothing solution. You can show off your "WP7" device and wow everyone with how much freedom you have and access to ALL of the android applications!
There will be a total of 9 applications in the package that you can chose from.
*Launcher - A Metro UI launcher written from the ground up to ensure that the ENTIRE WP7 experience can be utilized. Not just a skinned or tweaked existing launcher, this is the real deal!
*Dialer - Integrated with the stock Android contacts app or the WP7 contact app, this launcher will look and feel the way it is supposed to. With enhanced Facebook integration to just stock settings.
*Contacts - Full contacts support with Facebook integration. You can scroll through your contact list and also view their updates and other status changes. Evert hing you need in one app to stay connected!
*Mail - Manage all your mail accounts through one sleek interface.
*Message - WP7 Message app with thread view
*Browser - WP7 Browser and extra features
*Camera - WP7 Camera
*Gallery - WP7 Photo/Video Gallery
*Zune-Player - All of the look and feel of the Zune music player, None of the restrictions! You can view, play and see all of your media, no matter where it is!
For XDA users 3 apps will be free(Users who donated or Devs who brought some real contribution will get all packs for free). Not all apps will be available at first. Also the apps will be closed-source and paid on the market(somebody requested that I say this clearly). If you have any comments I would love to hear them!
UPDATE 6.1: The Contacts App has been updated to version 1.1. Known issues have been fixed. This version should work without problems on Xperia X10 and Eclair. Also the Zune Player has been updated as well. Known FC's have been fixed. Buyers PM me, donators download from third post.
Attention!!!: Please note that some parts of the site are still in construction including the Shop. After you buy send a Private Message here on XDA with your email so I can send the application. If you won't I will send it only to the PP mail address.
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1)Apps review - Second Post
2)Apps download and extras - Third Post
Official Site:http://wp7android.com/
My Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/#!/TheRedDrake
IF YOU SUPPORT THIS PROJECT PLEASE DONATE OR JUST VOTE TO FRONT PAGE
P.S Thanks to all who donated. Their contribution brings this project to life
Apps review + Planned Versions and Updates + Order of Releases
Contacts App:
You can:
-Sync contacts from SIM and Gmail
-Add new contact or edit existing one.
-Search contacts by clicking search button. If one contact remains swipe up or click for edit contact.
-Sort contacts by clicking all under people. You can sort by phone or email
-Chose own picture by clicking on the picture under the All/With Phone/With Email
-Quick search by letter by clicking blue letters. This opens the WP7 full onscreen Search Keyboard
-In Edit Contact: Swipe left for Call, right for Messaging
-Login to Facebook and Wall Post
Launcher App
You can:
- Add static, live & custom tiles. Live tiles like weather and slideshow need there corresponding aps to work.
- manage tiles & uninstall apps
- QTA (quick tile access) - give access to extra features on pinching on tiles. Only messaging tile & slideshow tile do things on QTA for now
-Tile Preview - gives the user the ability to only show tiles by category in the tiles view. It's activated by pinching on different tiles.
- change fonts - this change will apply to the most part of the launcher. Fonts are loaded from a folder on the SDCard
- tile notification for messages and missed calls
- lots of options in the launcher menu & more to come
- support for Wallpapers & Live Wallpapers
- widget support
- Live folder tiles support.
- theme-able (subject to improvements)
- add postit like tiles
- contact tiles (you must pin them from the contacts app) with quick call and sms features
- minor battery impact
- ... maybe other features that I'am missing right now
To do:
- interface improvements
- animations
- more live tiles (once everybody - or most of them- are content with the launcher)
- maybe animated tiles
- full integration with the other apps in the project
Music Player(Aka ZPlayer)
You can:
- As with the Zune player, this player will save a play history of the music you listen to, save favourites and also display newly added tracks to the home screen of the player.
- The home screen will have 3 sections: home, history and new.
- The radio player works using the Android mediaplayer API and streams MP3 music from internet radio stations.
- users can save radio stations as favourites and easily jump to their favourite stations.
To do:
- interface improvements
- implement color preferences to match colors of the other apps in the project
- animated activity switching
- homescreen widgets
- last.fm integration for scrobbling
- high resolution images for background images.
- playlist and genre section under "music"
Extras:
WP7Notifications:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11620804/Update-WP7Notifications-signed.zip
WP7Ringtones:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11620804/Update-WP7Ringtones-signed.zip
WP7 Theme for GO SMS: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13428027/GOS...mpleBlueW7.apk
*Credits for this go to lucas.scott and sualfred*
WP7 Theme for HTC Keyboard: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=942743
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Videos:
Video Review of the Apps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIMpAga1hkg
Messaging app Alpha:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDdBUsh_cY
lol
So let me get this straight you want programmers, designers and beta testers. So where do you come into all this lol? This sounds more like to me your asking people to do the job you cant
TheRedDrake said:
I would like to start an project to port the Windows Phone 7 UI to Android(Including Launcher and some basic utilities like mail/dialer/contacts/music/etc.), not just a theme using LauncherPro or ADW Launcher. Everybody can contribute to this in any way possible. So let the work begin and hope to see your contributions to this one as soon as possible.I will keep updating this thread every day in order to keep things in order. Good Luck!
What do I need?
1) Programmers
2) Designers
3) Beta testers: atomfix, JKshowman, Sellitus,MStott
P.S. Remember all who choose to contribute to this project please P.M me or post what are you willing to do in order to assign task based on your current skills.
Nexus One Thread:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=8792774#post8792774
Desire Thread:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=8792538#post8792538
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can help for designing & graphic
We need the devs to crack the bootloader first before you can do anything on this project.
TheRedDrake said:
I would like to start an project to port the Windows Phone 7 UI to Android(Including Launcher and some basic utilities like mail/dialer/contacts/music/etc.), not just a theme using LauncherPro or ADW Launcher. Everybody can contribute to this in any way possible. So let the work begin and hope to see your contributions to this one as soon as possible.I will keep updating this thread every day in order to keep things in order. Good Luck!
What do I need?
1) Programmers
2) Designers
3) Beta testers: atomfix, JKshowman, Sellitus,MStott
P.S. Remember all who choose to contribute to this project please P.M me or post what are you willing to do in order to assign task based on your current skills.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Zune player on Android, i say YES! and compatibility with Zune software for synchronizing music-video-images with it!
But the bootloader blocked all issues to do it...
SEMPITERNAL said:
I can help for designing & graphic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finaly someone willing to help.
P.S. I am going to do a launcher with some apps that will have the UI and functionality of WP7. I am designing the apps, I need help with the Launcher
Nankov said:
We need the devs to crack the bootloader first before you can do anything on this project.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
Nankov said:
We need the devs to crack the bootloader first before you can do anything on this project.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You wouldn't need the bootloader cracked if this is a launcher replacement.
I.e. equivalent to ADWLauncher.
I dont want to start the 2.1 debate again (theres another topic for that) but we may need the upgrade before we can make a better home replacement app. (LauncherPro requires 2.1 for example)
I'll be interested in testing this though, should the project come to something
JahmanSoldat said:
Zune player on Android, i say YES! and compatibility with Zune software for synchronizing music-video-images with it!
But the bootloader blocked all issues to do it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I started on a Zune player for android a while back, had a few screens transfer over/layout and whatnot.. just needed to add the code from the old player.. I may just revamp up this project again
I'm in for testing and perhaps some dev work. I am a software engineer but haven't gotten in to android sdk much yet
Sent from my R2-D2
xastey said:
I started on a Zune player for android a while back, had a few screens transfer over/layout and whatnot.. just needed to add the code from the old player.. I may just revamp up this project again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers bro! Hope you will contribute
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
It's interesting... Good luck with it. I don't have developer skills, so I can't help you.
But if you manage to do it, I will give it a tray. Hope to see something soon.
Id Love to be a beta tester, I love blowing up phones with new tech LOL j/p
But beta tester for sure
androidfanboi said:
So let me get this straight you want programmers, designers and beta testers. So where do you come into all this lol? This sounds more like to me your asking people to do the job you cant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidfanboi don't be rude and arrogant... if you check, TheRedDrake is listed as a programmer
wow...nice to hear that...i wanna be tester too...
Would definitely test on dx and help with any audio related needs. Also can put me down for a massive donation if this thing takes off. Was planning on two hundred going to a wp7 device but doesn't look like Verizon will have it for a while. If this is legit... more than happy to give it to you guys.
If you guys can do it, ill beta test it
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
7years photoshop skill is ready to help with design and graphics !
So with the emulator leak we have new things to look at
Namely:
- downloading maps
- Applications + settings and SMS are now able to be backed up on CLOUD (http://clip2net.com/s/29yZl)
- PIN for app purchases on store
- upgraded camera UI
- OneNote separated from Office - probably something like OneNote MX?
- IE10 has again "Find on page" option!
- Data Sense application - to measure data usage (WiFi, cellular)
- Search page is now greatly enhanced with News, In Theatres, ... (Personalized suggestions - requires Hotmail account signed in, but that doesn't work.)
- Multiple photos selection (http://clip2net.com/s/29z2y)
- More settings in Ease of access (maybe they were just US specific before that?) - text size, high contrast mode, screen magnifier throughout the system
- Ability to remap the STOP button in IE to something else - namely favs, stop/refresh or tabs
- Partial blocking of cookies (tracking cookies?)
- Lockscreen to show Bing today picture rather your own one (NEAT!)
- LOCKSCREEN TO SUPPORT CUSTOM APPLICATIONS!
- Zune Music is now called Xbox Music including reporting "what are you playing now" to Xbox
- SafeSearch settings for Bing search
- More detailed phone storage informations including buttons to move photos or music to SD card
- Native screenshots (winkey + camkey) -- thanks to wpcentral!
The list shall be updated!
Some pictures:
About screen:
Backup options:
Call:
Camera:
Data sense:
Ease of access:
Home:
IE:
Images:
Lockscreen:
Maps:
Music:
Search:
Skydrive search:
Storage:
Updates:
"Applications + settings and SMS are now able to be backed up on CLOUD"
- Only think i really need, but GREAT!
Are there any APIs that can filter calls or SMS?
Windows Phone 8 is going to be a killer OS!! I seriously can't wait to upgrade from my aging DVP!
Screen shots available here:
http://wp7.hu/2012/07/26/windows-phone-8-emulator-screenshotok-omlesztve/
Hcs66 said:
Are there any APIs that can filter calls or SMS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I highly doubt that, didn't see any api
Here's my list, what I have found so far in the .chm file:
SmsInterceptor for capturing SMS messages
SpeechSynthesizer, SpeechRecognition - sounds good
Battery class for accessing remaining power, finally!
LockScreenWallpaper - API for changing current lockscreen
VoipPhoneCall - if you want to create your own Skype clone
SaveAppointmentTask - to save appointments into calendar
App to App and App to Device Bluetooth communication
FlipTileData, CycleTileData, IconicTileData - new types of Tiles, including that 3 size tile
Second post GREATLY updated with A LOT of images. Click on them for full resolution (WVGA).
If anybody would be interested in some kind of video walkthrough - I suppose it could happen during the weekend as well?
Also it seems to run with only 256MB RAM without a page file, so hopefully we will be seeing devices like the Nokia Lumia 610 at a low price.
anything related to wifi? I really want an option to not lose wife when phone is locked
Thanks
i still don't see myself pulling away from android. i really want to though...
I want to see the lock screen in action, and I want to see if they made any changes to the toast notifications.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2
hunkyn said:
anything related to wifi? I really want an option to not lose wife when phone is locked
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed it was quite irritating to lose wifi once the phone is locked....
hope wp8 will change it for the better...
Is there going to be more themes than just black and white? I know there is more accent colors
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Can't wait until I get to pirate, erm I mean purchase this magnificent operating system.
N3croman said:
Here's my list, what I have found so far in the .chm file:
SmsInterceptor for capturing SMS messages
SpeechSynthesizer, SpeechRecognition - sounds good
Battery class for accessing remaining power, finally!
LockScreenWallpaper - API for changing current lockscreen
VoipPhoneCall - if you want to create your own Skype clone
SaveAppointmentTask - to save appointments into calendar
App to App and App to Device Bluetooth communication
FlipTileData, CycleTileData, IconicTileData - new types of Tiles, including that 3 size tile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i was wondering...
is VOIPcall based on skype? or a standard like SIP?
i work in a telephony company, and i'm interested in this functionnality: i already have lot of ideas of how to use voipcall in my desktop software (switching from desktop softphone to WP8 voip automatically, adding mobility to my desktop softwares, etc...)
warenbe said:
i was wondering...
is VOIPcall based on skype? or a standard like SIP?
i work in a telephony company, and i'm interested in this functionnality: i already have lot of ideas of how to use voipcall in my desktop software (switching from desktop softphone to WP8 voip automatically, adding mobility to my desktop softwares, etc...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are some registry values relating to SIP, and it has already been announced that it supports skype.
ale07 said:
There are some registry values relating to SIP, and it has already been announced that it supports skype.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i hope it will not be skype only.
some registry doesn't mean "it will be ok for SIP", but it's a good start
What about multitasking?
Is the multitasking the same as Windows Phone 7.5? Is the number of "freezed" apps increased? Are there any changes?
The only thing we know from MS is that VoIP apps and GPS apps will be able to run in background (or get much less limits compared to regular apps) - so apps like GPS navigation or Skype will run in background as you'd expect them.
HI Guys: The good news! :victory:
Sony Confirms Android KitKat provided for Xperia SP in the Near Future! :victory:
Link this news to Sony's site:
http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/software/phones/xperia-sp/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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Thank you very much Sony! :fingers-crossed:
No need to create a whole new thread, when another is already created.
The info you posted is already here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=47696383
Sent from my C5303 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
whitemamba said:
No need to create a whole new thread, when another is already created.
The info you posted is already here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=47696383
Sent from my C5303 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True whitemamba, but the news was updated to Android Kitkat important enough to be a separate thread!
Amin.HVS said:
True whitemamba, but the news was updated to Android Kitkat important enough to be a separate thread!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
I mean, you saw the other thread, read it and then thought 'Hey, lets make another thread'. -_-
Robin>Hood said:
No.
I mean, you saw the other thread, read it and then thought 'Hey, lets make another thread'. -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, your Purpose do not understand!
You have seen me in the other thread?!
What's this?
Amin.HVS said:
Sorry, your Purpose do not understand!
You have seen me in the other thread?!
What's this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im glad you made this thread! I wouldnt have seen the other post. Thanks! Cant wait, JB 4.3 next month and then KK sooon! :laugh:
Pavilo-Olson said:
Im glad you made this thread! I wouldnt have seen the other post. Thanks! Cant wait, JB 4.3 next month and then KK sooon! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome my good friend. :highfive:
I was very glad of this good news. Kit Kat Best Android version Subset 4.xx Android version of the collection. and it has very good facilities.
I hope this version for the Xperia SP will be provided as soon as possible.
Robin>Hood said:
No.
I mean, you saw the other thread, read it and then thought 'Hey, lets make another thread'. -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pavilo-Olson said:
Im glad you made this thread! I would'nt have seen the other post. Thanks! Cant wait, JB 4.3 next month and then KK sooon! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay Robin Hood
You Notice, As I said, it was!
Closer look at the features and capabilities of Android Kitkat
Google's newest version of its mobile operating system, Android 4.4 KitKat, doesn't deliver a huge list of transformative design and feature changes, like what we saw when Ice Cream Sandwich was introduced. Instead, KitKat's main purpose is to usher in a strategy from Google to get the latest Android version on all Android devices, both premium and low-end.
That's a big deal because every year, lower-end handsets come out running old versions of Android, fueling the argument that Android is fragmented and giving customers an inconsistent Android experience. With KitKat, Google shrank the operating system so that it can run on many more devices, thus helping close the gap between low-end and high-end devices.
This hands-on examines Android 4.4 as it runs on the Nexus 5, as that is the only device that currently has the operating system. Not all of the features mentioned will be available on other devices when they get the update. We'll continue to update this material as we spend time with the operating system on other devices when we can. For an in-depth review of the Nexus 5, read Lynn La's review on CNET.
The newest Android for all
Google's ultimate goal is to get KitKat on all Android devices from this point forward. Every year, we see new devices running the latest flavor of Android, but also some running versions that are, in some cases, years old. That makes cheaper devices seem less appealing even given their low prices, and leaves the budget-minded miffed that they can't get the latest features without a cost.
The problem is that budget devices often have smaller amounts of internal storage and RAM and can often only run an older version of Android. More powerful, and more expensive, phones pack faster processors and more RAM, allowing them to run the most updated version of the OS, previously Jelly Bean. Google fixed this issue in KitKat by shrinking the footprint of the operating system by 16 percent so that it can run on devices with only 512MB of RAM. That means that budget devices and phones aimed at emerging markets, which is exactly what Google is after, can run KitKat, instead of now-outdated Gingerbread (2.3) or Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0).
Google is giving manufacturers and carriers the opportunity to put KitKat on all devices in 2014. However, since there's no pressure or directive to only ship devices with version 4.4, it's up to them to follow through. It remains to be seen if carriers and OEMs will jump at the chance to only go with KitKat, and if the past is any indication, it's likely that we'll continue to see new phones shipping with Jelly Bean for a while.
Fresh, simple design
KitKat sports a minimalist design that still has remnants of the Holo look introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich. Many of the design changes I talk about in this section are ones I came across on the Nexus 5. We don't know yet if they will show up on other non-Nexus devices if and when they get Android 4.4. It's safe to say that if your phone has a custom skin, such as HTC Sense or Samsung TouchWiz, and gets upgraded to KitKat, you're not likely to see many design differences.
The app drawer and status bar are now transparent.
First, the home screens on KitKat look a bit different. Icons are now much larger and the text is condensed. The top status bar is translucent and blends with your wallpaper. Google says that other apps can take advantage of this as well. For instance, Twitter could have the blue background on the app's header extend into the status if it so desired.
There are no longer five home screens visible by default; instead there are only two. You can add more by grabbing an app or widget and moving it to the right or left of an existing screen. Just as you can do in TouchWiz and other skins, you can now rearrange entire home screens, instead of moving apps and widgets around individually. To do it, you just tap and hold the screen and then tap and hold the screen you want to move.
There's a new menu where you can change your wallpaper and add widgets that pops up when you press and hold the screen. There's also an option called settings in that menu, but it takes you to Google search settings, not your phone's settings menu, which is strange and unexpected. When you select wallpapers, a row of thumbnails of new wallpapers designed for KitKat appears. On the far left, there's an option to choose photos from your gallery. When you choose your own photo, it will show a full-screen preview of what it will look like as a wallpaper, instead of forcing you to crop the photo with a box, which is a welcome change. It reminds me a lot of how you set the backgrounds on an iOS device.
If you select widgets from that home screen menu, you'll get a grid of available widgets that you can add to your screens.
The app drawer also got a makeover. There is no longer a section for widgets and no icon for Google Play in the top-right corner; all you see is a grid of your phone's apps. It also has a translucent background that shows your home screen wallpaper.
What hasn't changed is the notifications menu, though Google did add a new location tile in the quick-settings panel. Lastly, the persistent Google search bar that popped up in Android 4.0 and stays at the top of your home screens is still there. You still can't remove it unless you use a launcher or install a new ROM.
Next up is the lock screen. Though it doesn't look much different from 4.2 and 4.3, there's a new music widget that lets you control audio playback from the lock screen without unlocking your phone. When you play music from the Google Music app, the lock screen will show the song's album art full-screen. Additionally, if you're playing a video on a Chromecast from your phone, the lock screen will show the video or movie's art and give you an option to pause or play the video.
With third-party music apps, there's no album art, but the app's icon, song title, and artist will show up on the lock screen, right above the playback controls. Apps like Spotify and Pandora and most podcast players have had lock screen controls for a while, but the new widget gives them a much cleaner look.
You can still add other widgets to the lock screen, for Gmail or other apps, just make sure you check the box in the security settings that says "Enable widgets."
Google introduced a new immersive experience for some apps in KitKat. The idea is that when you're watching a video, reading a book, or playing a game, the status bar and onscreen buttons will fade away so there aren't distractions. In the Google Books app, that means each page takes up the entire screen.
Google Now at your fingertips
With Google Now, Google is aiming to bring you all the information you could possibly need in one place. There are cards for your upcoming appointments with travel times to help you plan your journey, weather cards to tell you the forecast, and sports scores that help you stay on top of your favorite team. In KitKat, Google Now gets more robust.
First, I need to mention that Google built a special launcher for the Nexus 5 that makes Google Now even easier to access. If you unlock your phone, you can say, "OK Google" to activate voice search without needing to tap anywhere on the screen. Also, when you turn on Google Now, you can swipe all the way to the left to pull it up. Those two features are exclusive to KitKat on the Nexus 5, at least until future notice. That said, the Nexus 5 is not the only phone that allows you to use voice commands to launch Google Search. Motorola's Moto X, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini all sport Touchless Controls, where you can say "OK Google" to start a search without needing to touch the phone at all.
Though the Nexus 5 gets the most Google Now features, KitKat will bring updated search features to other phones as well. First, when you run a search, Google will dive deeper into your phone and pull results from your installed apps. It works like this: Say you search for a restaurant on Google Now and already have the OpenTable app installed on your phone. You'll get the same Web results, but if you scroll to the bottom, there will be an option to launch the OpenTable app which will immediately show the reservation page for that restaurant. In the past, you'd have had to open the app yourself and search separately. Google says this will work with apps from OpenTable, Etsy, Flixster, Moviefone, and Newegg, with more to come soon. In my testing on the Nexus 5, it didn't work, and Google has yet to say when exactly you'll be able to do this.
Next, Google Now is getting a few new cards. One will show you updates from favorite Web sites and blogs, without overwhelming you with every post in the way an RSS reader would. Another will try to understand your recent searches and group together related queries, such as "Nexus 5" and "Android KitKat." Again, these cards did not pop up for me in my testing, but they are expected to roll out soon.
Lastly, Google gave us a vague promise of future cards that will provide context when you're near a certain event or attraction that is getting a lot of search hits. For example, say there's a parade in your city and there are a lot people searching for information on what's happening. Google would display a card about the event's time, location, and other important information when you're near the event.
Google, place my call
KitKat includes a brand-new dialer, which remembers who you call the most and keeps those people front and center. When you open the dialer, the dial pad is hidden away and you'll see a list of frequently called contacts.
One of the biggest changes is that you can now search for businesses from the dialer and call them with one tap. That means instead of opening Google Search or Google Maps and looking for a business, finding its number, and then placing the call, you can just start typing in the dialer, and select the correct result, and your phone will start dialing. You can get specific by typing "Starbucks" to find nearby locations, for example, or just type "coffee" for broader results.
Also, you can type the words of a vanity number -- such as 1-800-Flowers or 1-888-Wait-Wait -- into the search bar, and the dialer will translate it into a numerical phone number. It's a small touch that makes the actual phone part of your phone much more user-friendly.
Another major feature is Caller ID. When a business that's not in your contacts calls you, its name will show up on the screen, helping you figure out who's calling. This only works if the business has a listing in Google Maps (most do) and the number that's calling you is the same number in that listing. If someone calls from an extension, it won't work.
Hangouts meets texting
It's long been rumored that Google would fold the basic stock SMS text messaging into the IM, voice, and video calling app Hangouts. It finally did that with the release of Android 4.4.
If you already use Hangouts on your Android phone to IM with your friends, the experience hasn't changed much. You can still search for contacts by e-mail address or Google account name and send them IMs. What has changed is that, at least for the Nexus devices, there is no longer a separate dedicated SMS app. You now send and receive text messages and photos from the Hangouts app.
Hangouts separates your SMS conversations and Google Chat conversations into individual threads on the main screen, even if you're communicating with one contact. You can, however, switch between those two conversations when you're in the message thread by tapping the person's name at the top.
While Hangouts is easy to use, it doesn't bring anything else to the...tablet that any other SMS client doesn't. I'll stick with a separate app on my Android phone, mostly because I've never been a fan of Hangouts for its original purpose and I can customize the look of my text-messaging app. If you'd rather use something else too, I recommend Textra.
Extra features
Even though emoji was available in earlier versions of Android, they officially come to Android in KitKat. Emoji are part of the stock Google keyboard now and can be used anywhere you input text. Luckily, if you send a message with emoji to a friend with an iOS or non-KitKat device, your friend will still be able to see the tiny pictures, as they can translate to other emoji protocols. I, for one, am a big fan of the new emoji, especially since that's one of the few features from iOS that I was hoping would someday turn up in Android.
You can now print photos from the Gallery app with Google Cloud Print. If you have a cloud-enabled printer, you need to register it with its cloud e-mail address. For non-cloud printers, you need to use a USB cable to connect it to your computer and register it on Google Cloud Print.
For my Wi-Fi-connected HP all-in-one, which doesn't have a cloud print option, that meant I had to connect it to my laptop and sign into Google Cloud Print in my Chrome browser's settings menu. Once that was set up, I could go to the Gallery app, choose a photo, select print from the menu, and find my correct printer.
You can now open files in Google's productivity suite, Quickoffice, from any cloud apps you have installed on your phone, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. You can easily save them back to the cloud when you're finished.
Android is making it easier to manage your launchers with a settings option called Home. There you can switch between the stock launcher and any that you have installed, such as Apex or Nova. This is a personal favorite feature of mine, since I like to use launchers and this makes it really easy to switch back and forth.
Other smaller changes introduced in KitKat include faster multitasking, improved touch-screen performance, low-power audio playback, and a lower-accuracy battery-saving location mode.
Here's a full list of the changes:
The revamped phone dialer app will evaluate which contacts you talk to most and automatically prioritize your phone book accordingly. Also, integration with more Google apps such as Maps will let you search for nearby places and businesses right in the phone dialer.
Caller ID gets a boost, as well. For incoming calls that don't match a phone number not in your contacts, Google apps will scan and display any matches from local businesses listed in Google Maps.
The immersive mode clears up clutter on your screen by automatically hiding everything except the one thing you're viewing (like a photo, map, or game). In other words, you'll be in full-screen mode without status and navigation bars. When you're ready to move on, you can bring back your status bar and navigation buttons by swiping the edge of the screen.
A new Hangouts app consolidates all of your text and multimedia messages, conversations, and video calls in one place.
You'll be able to print photos, documents, and Web pages from your phone or tablet. Any printer connected to Google Cloud Print will be compatible, along with HP ePrint printers and other printers with Google Play apps.
If you have an Android device with an IR blaster, you'll be able to use applications that make it function as a TV remote.
Capable devices will now support Chromecast.
When you reach the bottom of a menu, there's a faint white glow instead of the earlier, brighter blue glow.
Support for the Message Access Profile (MAP) will let drivers exchange messages between their Bluetooth-enabled cars and devices.
Closed captioning comes to most applications.
A new look for the e-mail app brings nested folders, contact photos, and revamped navigation.
NFC features now will work with more wireless carriers.
App developers can take advantage of new step detection and counting composite sensors.
Smaller details range from a uniform color for status bars to a new condensed font.
(Credit: CNET)
Thats was am awsom information about Kitkat.. Thanks for the share my brother
Rajeev said:
Thats was am awsom information about Kitkat.. Thanks for the share my brother
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You're welcome, My dear brother Rajeev, this overview of the Android Kitkat
But soon, very interesting information about the Android Kitkat will share the same topic!
9 Lesser-Known New Features In Android 4.4 KitKat!
9 Lesser-Known New Features In Android 4.4 KitKat
Shortly after Google revealed the latest version of its mobile OS a few days back, we wrote about some of the new features & improvements introduced in Android 4.4 KitKat. It’s been over a week since the release now, and many of us have had a chance to play around with the OS. With that, we have come across a few features that weren’t highlighted by Google, but can nevertheless prove to be quite useful to many users. Not all users are going to find a use for each one of these features, and not all of them are entirely new major additions to the OS; in fact a few of them are more along the lines of refinements to existing features, or handy components of newly added KitKat features that haven’t been specifically highlighted by Google or the press so far. So, let’s take a look at a few of the lesser-known features brought to Android in the 4.4 KitKat update.
Advanced File Picker With Full Storage Access
In KitKat, Google introduced an all new file picker with support for integration with Google Drive as well as third-party cloud storage services to make the process of picking a file easier and more universal. This feature has been talked about a lot by both Google and the media, but did you know that you can also use it to pick any file on your Internal storage and external SD card (on supported devices) directly?
To enable full storage access, go to the file picker’s settings from its menu, and enable the option labeled ‘Display advanced devices’. You can also set file sizes to be displayed from here. After enabling the former option, you should see an entry for your Internal storage (as well as your external SD card, if your device supports it) in the Open from navigation drawer. Tap it, and you’ll be able to select any file from your device’s file system.
You can also sort the files by name, last modified date and size, and choose between list and grid layout. One can’t help but think how nice it would have been if Google had also added basic file management options (opening, deleting, renaming, viewing properties etc.) to the feature and added its shortcut to the App drawer to make it a stock File Manager app – a feature that was considered a standard for mobile operating systems in the pre-iOS, Android & Windows Phone era.
Easily Switch Default Launcher & SMS Apps
If you’ve been reading up on the new features of KitKat so far, you probably know already that upon installing a third-party launcher, you’ll see a new ‘Home’ option in Settings that lets you choose the default one (demonstrated in the left screenshot below). You likely also know that the new Hangouts app in KitKat includes support for SMS messages, rendering the stock Messaging app redundant. Though that doesn’t mean stock Messaging has been completely excluded from the OS; it’s still there as a part of AOSP (though Google and device manufacturers/carriers may decided to not ship it on their devices), and there is also an easy way to choose your default SMS app among all stock and third-party options available. You can find this option under ‘Wireless & Networks’ in Settings.
The option allows you to choose your default SMS app between Hangouts, Messaging and any third-party options that you may have installed.
Advance Alarm Notifications With Option To Dismiss
This is an enhancement to an existing feature that shows attention to detail, and I am already in love with it. At times, we set an alarm but end up waking up before it has sounded, and either out of laziness or due to getting busy with something, we end up not stopping that alarm till it starts sounding. With KitKat, you will view expandable notifications for upcoming alarms one hour before their time, with a ‘Dismiss Now’ option that does just what it says, without requiring you to open the Clock app and go the Alarms section to disable the alarm manually.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s not a new major feature but a very useful addition to an existing one, and once you get used to it, you’ll find it hard to live without it.
Toggle Lockscreen Widgets
Google introduced Lockscreen widget support in Android Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and the feature was immensely praised by users and critics alike. However, there were still many who didn’t really see a need to put widgets on their lockscreen. However, there was no way to disable the feature. That changes in KitKat, as you can now easily enable or disable lockscreen widgets in the Security section of Settings.
So, if you only use the lockscreen to keep your device secure and unlock it when needed, go ahead and disable the feature to make sure you never land on that ‘Add widget’ screen on your lockscreen.
View Text-To-Speech Support Status For Default Language
Text-to-Speech has long been a part of Android, but not all languages supported by the operating system itself were supported by this feature. KitKat adds a ‘Default language status’ section to the Text-to-speech subsection of Language & input settings that shows if your currently selected default system language is supported by the Text-to-speech system or not.
So, no more confusion on why you can’t hear any text-to-speech output for a language you’ve selected.
Mobile Plan Management
There’s a new option labeled ‘Mobile Plan under Wireless & networks settings that seems to be intended to help you manage your mobile plan right from your device, but it’ll only work if your carrier has a known provisioning website for the purpose in order to offer you any options to configure.
We couldn’t test this feature because our carrier doesn’t provide such a provisioning service.
Always Enabled Dial-Pad Autocomplete
Dial-pad autocomplete (also known as T9 dialing) is an extremely handy feature that lets users bring up contacts by typing the numbers representing the alphabetical characters of their names in the Dialer. This was probably the most requested feature in Android since Google decided to include it as an option in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. In KitKat, the feature is no longer an option that you can toggle; it is instead always on. It’s really hard to think of a reason why anyone would want to have it disabled, so it only makes sense to have it always on, and removing the option to disable it.
In addition to the changes in KitKat that we have discussed above, there are also a few more new options hidden in the Developer options section of Settings that aren’t likely to be too useful for the everyday user, but can prove to be quite handy to developers. We said ‘hidden’ because since Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Google has hidden the Developer options section by default. Though you can easily follow our instructions to reveal the hidden Android Developer options. Once revealed, you’ll notice several changes from the options available till 4.3, and we’ll be discussing a few notable ones from them below.
New ART Runtime (love This Feature )
Dalvik has been the default runtime environment of Android since its first public release. It has also been the primary bottleneck of the OS because it uses JIT (just-in-time) compilation, requiring apps to be compiled on the go before running them, which can be quite taxing on performance as well as battery life. ART (Android RunTime) is a replacement for Dalvik that uses AOT (ahead of time) compilation, meaning your apps are compiled to a ready-to-run state before you even launch them, making the process of launching and using them much faster and smoother. And since this would reduce their compilation frequency significantly, you can expect to start seeing better battery life.
While ART isn’t quite ready for prime time yet, an early version of the new runtime environment has been included in KitKat, though Dalvik is still selected as default. Developers who need to test their apps on ART, or users who want to try out the new runtime (at their own risk, since it’s not fully ready yet) can switch to it by tapping Select runtime under Developer options, as shown above.
Process Stats
One thing developers and power users are both interested in is seeing what’s going on under the hood in their devices. For this, KitKat now includes Process Stats – a section under Developer Options that shows you performance and usage stats of all your background, foreground and cached processes.
You can choose a custom duration for the stats, show or hide system processes and toggle the display of different stats types.
A few other new developer options include the ability to select and switch between different modes of HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) checking between always, for DRM content only, and never, a snoop log for Bluetooth HCI (Host Controller Interface), and more.
So, which one of these features do you like most? And have you found a lesser-known feature in KitKat that we’ve missed? Feel free to drop a line in the comments below!
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This is a great notice!!
and hope that there is not a trick marketin.
mpiero11 said:
This is a great notice!!
and hope that there is not a trick marketin.
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Yes, this is a good news for us.
Sony confirmed Upgrade Xperia SP to Android 4.4, and probably in early 2014, we will witness the presentation.
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OP Updated.
Cool cant wait:laugh: