Android 4.4 KitKat is the latest version of Android which has been introduced to the world. Android 4.4 was introduced alongside the unveiling of the latest Nexus phone, the LG Nexus 5, which comes with Android 4.4 out of the box. Android 4.4 brings a number of changes to the Operating System, out of which the most prominent ones include the disappearance of the partition between the keys, the screen and the status bar, a completely new stock launcher (which has been named “Google Experience”, a decreased amount of memory consumption, and better touch-screen response. As of now, Android 4.4 is officially available only for the Nexus 5. The owners of Nexus devices such as the Nexus 4, both versions of the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10 need not worry as Android 4.4 KitKat will grace their devices pretty soon. Naturally, the list of devices running Android 4.4 will keep expanding as time passes by.

With the unveiling of Android 4.4, Google stated that they have optimized the latest Android version in such a way that lower-end devices will also be able to stably run the firmware. Google has stated that they will be optimizing the firmware for devices sporting at least 512MB of ram and at least a 1GHz processor (regardless of whether the process is a single-core processor or a dual-core processor).

With Google’ statement, people have started wondering whether or not lower-end devices actually have the strength required to run Android 4.4 KitKat. Well, since the entity which has made the statement is Google itself, the chances of this fantasy turning into a reality are quite high. In addition, Google has always shown an interest in reviving lower-end devices in order to boost sales, revolutionize the world of Android enthusiasts and finally get rid of the “Gingerbread plague” which affects almost 78% of lower-end Android devices. However, one thing is for sure: we will definitely see a number of lower-end devices running Android 4.4 and, if Google does come through with its statement, the first lower-end devices which will receive the Android 4.4 update will most likely be the Samsung Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (which now comes into the category of lower-end devices). In addition, a person must remember that even if Google pulls through with its statement, it is actually up to the manufacturers of lower-end devices to choose whether or not an Android 4.4 update is to be rolled out for the devices.

However, owners of lower-end devices need not worry because even if they manufacturers of their devices refuse to roll out an Android 4.4 update for their respective devices, they can simply flash a stable custom Android 4.4 ROM onto their device. The following are the devices for which custom Android 4.4 ROMs have already been created (Please remember that, as these ROMs have been built, at most, two weeks after the unveiling of Android 4.4, their stability is not guaranteed):

• ROMs such as “A Taste of KitKat” and “SlimKat” have been created for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
• Sony Xperia Z
• Moto X
• HTC One
• HTC One X
• HTC One X+
• Samsung Galaxy S3 T999
• Samsung Galaxy S3 I747
• Nexus 4
• Sony Xperia T
• HTC One
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3
• Nexus 10
• Samsung Galaxy Note N7000