The Android 4.4 KitKat update for the
Galaxy S4 and
Note 3 flagships brings a lot of resource optimizations under the hood, thanks to
KitKat's Project Svelte. These are resulting in some top benchmark scores from the handsets running the new firmware, but that's not all Samsung has in store for us.
We also get new TouchWiz NatureUX look that appears flatter, and that is especially visible in the status bar icons, which reflect the stock KitKat visuals, with white icons looking uniform on the transparent status bar. If you are curious how exactly your status bar will present itself when the Android 4.4 update hits your handset, you needn't look further but tech blogger Eldar Murtazin, as he just posted the above status bar with the comment "
Samsung KitKat status bar. No color at all. Only white." He also comments in a previous tweet that this new stock look will "
mean a lot for the TouchWiz future," likely referring to the reported
agreement with Google on the new Magazine UX phase-out.
Additional visual change will be a nice round shortcut to the camera app on the lock screen for easier access to the 13 MP snapper on the back. The keyboard has seen its landscape mode tweaked for easier typing and improved finger-tracking, too. You can
sideload the KitKat firmware on your GT-I9505 Galaxy S4 now, or wait until the update hits your phone officially.
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