A petition asking Google to bring Android 4.4 KitKat to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus already has over 15,000 signatures.
Last week Google announced that the Android 4.4 KitKat update would start rolling out to various smartphone models in the near future.
However, Google also revealed that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus won’t get the Android 4.4 KitKat update because the two-year-old handset is past its 18-month support period.
This irked many an Android user as one of the benefits of android 4.4 KitKat is that it is compatible with older smartphones with less memory.
“With KiKat, we’ve slimmed down Android’s memory footprint by doing things like removing unnecessary background services and reducing the memory consumption of features that you use all the time,” explained Google at launch.
The petition to bring Android KitKat to the Galaxy Nexus was started by Max Duchwitz from Germany and has surpassed 15,000 signatures of support in under a week since the October 31 announcement.
Android 4.4 KitKat Features
Launched alongside the new Google Nexus 5 smartphone, the Android 4.4 KitKat update introduces a wealth of minor changes over Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, rather than the complete overhaul some expected.
With Android KitKat, you can say “OK Google” when on the homescreen or Google Now to launch voice search, send texts or access other features of your smartphone.
Along with the support for lower-end, budget Android handsets, KitKat improves the multitasking capabilities of Android by optimising memory.
The update also prioritises contacts based on who you communicate with most and when you get a call from an unknown number, Android KitKat checks local businesses for a match too.
Google has also ditched the messages app in favour of a new, improved Hangouts app, which groups all messages from a single contact in one place – regardless of whether it’s an email, SMS, MMS or other chat type.
Other new features also include the introduction of Japanese Emoji picture icons in your Google Keyboard.
Next, read our Google Nexus 5 vs Nexus 4 comparison.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
