Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Lowen_Sodium
Newbie

The Android 4.4 update for the Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx is going out today and it turns out that the update is not updating any of the UI elements or stock apps.

The icons are the same, the status bar is not transparent, the dialer was not updated to the new Kitkat dialer, ect.

I doubt that this was a Motorola decision since the Moto X got all of the updates and full believe that Verizon was asked for the UI to be held back so as to not confuse users.

Is anyone else disappointed by this?

edit:  Correction - the Moto X did not receive the updated dialer, but it did get the other UI updates.

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Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Have you checked the Play Store for the updates there?

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Lowen_Sodium
Newbie

UI updates do not come from the Play Store.

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Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Not applicable

She was referring to your Apps not the UI

Good Luck

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Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Many of the stock applications on the Motorola phones have been moved to the Play Store.

http://m.androidcentral.com/motorola-s-touchless-control-app-updated-new-commands-and-speak-your-pin...

http://m.androidcentral.com/motorola-updates-its-camera-app-google-play

http://m.androidcentral.com/motorola-puts-motorola-assist-google-play-adds-autoreply-feature

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Lowen_Sodium
Newbie

Yes, but none of those address my concerns that despite being updated to Android 4.4, the phone still looks and acts like 4.2.

The stock apps I referred to in the original post was more directed at the dialer not being updated to the 4.4 dialer, which I edited my post to note that it wasn't updated on other phones

But the launcher is still the same, the UI, the notification bar, etc, all unchanged.  That is what I am more disappointed with and also concerned that if next version of Android contains more UI changes, that this phone will not receive them, take longer to get updated because of the changes needed to keep those changes out, or not receive the update at all.  I have seen this done before on HTC phones that I had.  The HTC EVO shipped with Android 2.3 and was updated to 4.0 but it was altered to still look and act like a 2.3 phone.  This was a huge disappointment since Android 4.0 brought a lot of UI improvements that that phone never got (that phone was kind of a disappointment all over).  I just don't want that to happen again.

The UI changes in 4.4 are minor, granted, but I am worried that the next version might not be, and this precedence worries me.

I am glad that this phone got 4.4 as quick as it did, but I wanted to see if anyone else was disappointed with the above issues.

edited

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Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Although Motorola phone have a generally stock android UI feel to them, they are still a customized version of Tue android OS. It is entirely possible that Motorola made a design decision to NOT change the dialer on these phones either to keep the familiarity of the original design.

HTC designs a highly custom version of the UI called Sense UI and they don't usually give older phones the latest version of their UI even when they update the base Android OS level. The HTC EVO and the HTC Thunderbolt are great examples. The OS was updated to ICS, but the Sense UI wasn't updated to their native ICS level of the Sense UI. It was a version slightly lower that was pushed to those devices and retained some of the older look to stay similar to the original version it was released with.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
NexusMan21
Contributor - Level 2

The new dialer and some other UI elements in Kit Kat are currently exclusive to the Nexus 5. I was also a little disappointed that the Nexus 7 didn't get the Google Experience Launcher that the Nexus 5 has when it was updated to Kit Kat. Then again it is possible to use this launcher and get the look anyway - which is what I have done.

Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
KraZ4sure
Enthusiast - Level 3

Try Nova launcher.  Works on my droid maxx wonderfully,  transparent bar..hide bar,  change dock and color.  Some themes, icon packs.  My fave is the dock options, from transparent to any color you like and styles... and hide status notifications bar.  I never like third party UI theme apps but this one works near flawlessly.  The update is not the 4.4.2 update...Maybe that will fill in the rest.  So until then  maybe try Launcher.  I have not received my update yet.  Smiley Sad  The camera update is the biggest to me.  Camera is not up to standards.

Does 4.4 come with the ability to customize the quick settings menu.  Such as rearrange and add new settings?

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Re: Android 4.4 KitKat update disapointment
Tidbits
Legend

The new launcher is Nexus 5 own and IS proprietary. Motorola even though bought by Google has no right to it. Google has to let other OEMs to the same code. It was one of the agreements to the DoJ for Google to buy Motorola.

The Nexus 10, 7, GDE,and other devices updated to 4.4 will not have the new launcher. AOSP doesn't have a lot of the new stuff either.

So it may come in the future, but ATM voiding you warranty and violating CR/Pantents is the only way you can get it.

Did Google just pull and Apple? Everyone remembers Siri?

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