Google unveiled the newest version of its Android smartphone software on Thursday which will allow smartphone users access to its evolving menu of online services such as driving directions, Reuters reported.
The Android 4.4 KitKat 's most notable promise is to fix the device's age-old problem of fragmentation, CNET Asia reported, by using less memory than previous Android versions. The new operating system will debut on the Nexus 5 smartphone, which is avaiable now.
The new "KitKat" version of Android will be able to run on inexpensive, low-end smartphones to the most advanced devices, Sundar Pichai, Google Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome and Apps said at a press event in San Francisco.
"Now you have one version of the operating system which will run across all versions of Android smartphones," Pichai told reporters at the event.
According to Pichai, smartphones sold in "emerging markets" often come loaded with older versions of Android, that lack many key features and capabilities.
CNET Asia also reported that the new software will also deliver a beautiful immersive experience and an expansion of Google's services.
The KitKat software will use the revamped phone dialer app to evaluate which contacts the user talks to most and automatically prioritize their phone book accordingly. It will also print photos, documents and web pages from a phone or table. The program also features a new Hangout app which will consolidate all text and multimedia messages, conversations and video calls into one place.
The Caller Id will get a boost as well, for incoming calls that don't' match a number in a user's phonebook, Google apps will scan and display any matches from local business listed in Google Maps.
According to Reuters, the new operating system could help Google ensure that more users have access to the growing selection of profitable online services. It also could make the Android software more attractive to third-party app developers, who have been frustrated by what they call the "fragmented" nature of Android devices.
Many developers still build apps intended for Apple's iPhone and iPad first, BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis told Reuters.
"You want your users to be using your services, and KitKat will help foster that," Gillis.said.
According to Reuters, Google's Android software runs on 80 percent of the world's smartphones, according to industry analysts. But many of the Android devices sold use older versions of the software, which are not compatible with many new features.
