Consumer Reports evaluated Google’s Nexus 5 phone this week, and said it was “marred by Android 4.4 quirks.” While we ourselves found some aspects of the new Android version, also known as KitKat, to be improvements, we agree with CR that some trumped-up features don’t work as well as many initially thought, and some so-called improvements actually make the interface more annoying.
Even if you’re not planning on buying a Nexus 5 — which is a decent phone with a crazy-awesome no-contract price tag — you may soon get KitKat. Google is beginning to roll KitKat out to its own Nexus-branded tablets and phones, first to recent Wi-Fi-only models, then to models that use cellular data. Meanwhile, an assortment of handsets from Sony, HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola will eventually be kissed by the Kat, following that cumbersome Android update process that involves the synchronization of carrier and manufacturer timetables.