Some of the focus has gone to the next version of the Android software, which is expected to be version number 4.5.  The Android 4.5 software is also expected to be labeled “Licorice” or “Lollipop”.  With each new bit of software, the internet comes alive with things that many are hoping for when they upgrade to it in the near future.  Designers, coders and regular smartphone users alike, have hit the web to showcase what they think or expect to see with the new software.  The Android software is going to be a more polished experience according to some reports.

Some developers have taken to the web to explain what they think will come with the new software and according to one, the company will be working on improving the “out of box experience”.  For a lot of users, the Android 4.4 KitKat software has yet to show up on their smartphone and now those with Android 4.4 downloaded and installed are already looking ahead to the next version.  Google is not going to stop the improvement process just because some are still waiting for the current version, in fact, it might give mobile carriers something to think about when updating.

In the future, it might make more sense for the mobile carriers to hold off on one update and just bring in the next one if it is only going to be a couple months away.  According to some fan renders of the new software, the experience is going to be cleaned up a bit and made to be more personal.  Some icons could be getting refreshed as well as some of the lines made a bit softer throughout the settings area.  Either way, most of the Android users will have their eyes open for it while the rest wait around for Android 4.4.

Next version of Android operating system could bring new experience is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

When the HTC One was released back in April of last year, it came along with a new version of HTC Sense user interface and that brought Blinkfeed, which is a news aggregator, more content for the home screen and many more features that made their way into reviews posted online over the last few months.  Android 4.4 KitKat is reportedly coming for the HTC One in the next few weeks and because of that many are expecting the company to bring along the new version of HTC Sense.

With the HTC One replacement, called the HTC M8, HTC Two or HTC One+, coming as soon as next month it is also likely to be the first HTC device to sport the Sense 6 software over the top of Android 4.4 KitKat.  New details and other information has been posted online this week thanks to a Twitter account that is well known for posting information that is found to be correct more times than it is not.  The same account revealed last week that the Sense 6 software is going to come with on-screen buttons, rather than capacitive buttons that you see on older Android devices.

The user that leaked the information about the new software also noted that he likes the 6th version over version 5.5 which is typically expected with newer versions of anything in the mobile marketplace.  The color scheme looks to be the same gray, black and white, but certain applications will have dedicated colors to help tell them apart from others.  Colors like blue and green will be used rather than keeping everything gray, black or white.

Leaks indicate what could arrive with HTC Sense 6 is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

The first beta for iOS 7.1 was released back in November and that lasted through December and that was when Apple brought the iOS 7.1 beta 2 version was sent out.  The third version of the beta software was sent out for developers to check out and that is for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users.  As far as what the new software will bring, that is not known right now, but over the next couple weeks developers will start to talk and that is when more will be known.

Typically, beta releases are not talked about all that much unless the new software will be bringing new features to the devices, but the odds are better that it will be for fixing the bugs that showed up from the last update.  Just like with any other device update, those that have the iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch cannot wait another minute longer to get the new software.  Temporary fixes for issues like rebooting have been issued, but some are still reporting issues with that on their iPhone 5S. Those that have the iPad loaded with iOS 7 have been reporting issues as well.

The iPad user interfrace lagging issues that some are reporting might not be addressed this time around as Apple said the iOS 7.1 is geared more towards performance. That does not mean that the performance issues will not help the lag issues, but nothing is guaranteed at this point.  Some reports claims that thte iOS 7.1 will include faster animations, more visible sections for the TouchID and Passcode settings, plus new animations for the Control Center.  The iOS for the Car feature might also be included, at least some users are hoping it will be.

Apple iOS 7.1 coming very soon according to reports is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

Most of the companies that are planning to get the updates out to users took aim at the first part of 2014 for the update and now that the announced release dates are getting close, more users have been wanting more information about it.  HTC is one company that said that it will have a bunch of devices updated in the next 60 days.  According to reports this week, there are 17 more devices confirmed to be getting the software in 2014 for sure.

One of the more surprising announced handsets to be upgraded to the Android 4.4 KitKat is the Droid DNA smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network.  The device is a just over one year old and clearly is taking advantage of the fact that the new software will work on older devices.  The rest of the HTC One devices on the market will also be upgraded as you might know.  Those that have the popular and powerful, LG G2 will also be getting the KitKat software notification on their devices.  Another older device that made the list is the Motorola Atrix HD on the AT&T network, although anything specific has not been released.

Another smartphone in the same boat as the Atrix HD is the Motorola Droid RAZR HD and even though the KitKat software will likely be the last update for the device, it is nice to see an older one get it.  Other models of the Droid RAZR from Motorola will also be getting updated, like the Developer Edition for instance.  The exact dates have not been announced for all of the devices, but if you want a complete list of the 17 that have been confirmed you can search Google and see if your device is one of them.

The new year will bring 17 more Android 4.4 updates is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

On December 19th, Verizon announced the Android 4.4 KitKat software for both devices and that came just weeks after some of the first smartphones got updated.  Because the announcement came so quickly, especially on the Verizon Wireless network, many expected that there would be issues.  That did not seem to be the case right away, but now that more users are getting that software downloaded and installed, the issues are rising to the top.  Verizon Wireless is well known for taking a lot longer for those that are waiting for updates, but this one came very quickly.

Verizon was the first company to get the Android 4.4 KitKat software out to users and now it looks like the problems are starting to pile up.  So many that it looks like one source online is claiming the update could be pulled and will be back at a later date.  The Motorola Forums are were the problems are being discussed and they include bricked devices, which everyone knows is not good.  According to those on the forum, the update starts, then fails leaving the device on the boot screen and that is where it stalls.

Other claim they are getting the update downloaded and installed, but then shortly after that the device is re-booting on its own and then the phone is left without any functionality.  Some on the forum have noted they did not see the update notification so that could mean the software has been pulled and that would be a good thing for the ones that do not have bricked phones already.  Since updates like this are rolled out in phases, the likelihood that many more could have had issues is lower.

Android 4.4 KitKat making its way around bringing problems for some is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

The company put up a website to show customers exactly where all of the updates are and what devices will be getting them.  The website shows everything that goes into an update, what stage the update is in for a specific device and also breaks everything down by the mobile carrier.  This way, no matter what your mobile carrier is, you can clearly see where and what is happening with the update for your device.  This is the new plan of attack for HTC and it is a good one for the customers.  There is little left to question once you see the update website.

Starting with Android 4.4 KitKat, HTC is showing what devices are scheduled to get it and for those that started to get it, what stage of the process the software is in.  The main focus for most of the customers is the HTC One, but there are a couple of other handsets that are on the list and those will be updated and can be tracked as well.  According to the new page from HTC, there are five steps that go into the process and they include Evaluation, Development, Integration, Certification, Push to Customer.

The last step is the most important to many of the smartphone users on the globe, but being able to see all of the steps in a clear manner is a major plus as well.  Rather than just pasting a “coming soon” banner on the support page for a smartphone, now consumers can get the answers they need all in one place.  This should also limit the number of questions that arise on Twitter regarding the same thing.  Right now, the website shows complete status for Unlocked HTC One, Developer Edition of the HTC One and the Google Edition of the HTC One.

HTC Android 4.4 KitKat update schedule released is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

Google reportedly removed the hidden feature App Ops from the Android operating system with the latest Android 4.4.2 update, which started heading out to devices last week.  Google is claiming that the feature was not supposed to be available to the general public in the first place and that it was “experimental” and could break the functionality of your device.  According to EFF’s Peter Eckersley, “The fact that [Android users] cannot turn off app permissions is a Stygian hole in the Android security model, and a billion people’s data is being sucked through.  Embarrassingly, it is also one that Apple managed to fix in iOS years ago.”

Google should be putting the feature back and fix it by adding a couple of things that were not there to begin with, including a switch to keep apps from collecting data, IMEI and user account information.  A way to disable the network access for each application that is installed and a better integration of the App Ops into the popular Android operating system.  Google has been aware of the issue, although the company did not comment on this specific situation.

With smartphones and tablets becoming a place to store data more than they ever were 5 years ago, mobile security is a popular topic of discussion.  Things like the Touch ID on the iPhone and third party applications that use facial recognition to unlock your device are nothing to laugh about.  More companies are moving in the mobile direction and having secure mobile devices for employees is a must have for them.  Recent rumors even suggest that Apple is going to go to a retinal scan for security in the next iPhone.

Android update fills security hole that Jelly Bean brought with it is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

The update for the Nexus 5 is expected to arrive within in the next couple of days and that comes days after a users took to Twitter to reveal that the HTC One Google Edition would be getting an update within the next few days.  The release date was not given, but it did give Google the green light to say something about the Nexus 5.  Some websites were reporting that they had Android 4.4.1 KitKat powered devices showing up in their analytics and that included a Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7, which were all located within range of the Google campus in California.

One online source claimed that a Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4.1 was also visiting websites, but that could have been the Google Edition of the smartphone.  Google’s Director of Engineering, Dave Burke confirmed that the Nexus 5 was getting updated soon, but did not give details into any other devices that might be in line as well.  It would only stand to be obvious that any other Nexus branded device would be on that list as well, but that remains to be seen.  The update is a small one, but it will address some issues that have been plaguing users over the last few weeks.

The main improvement is going to come in the camera with the Nexus 5.  Once the update is installed, the overall speed of the camera app should be improved, a new progress bar for HDR+ photos and improvements to the Auto Focus functionality will bring a new level of sharpness to the photos taken with the Nexus 5 camera.  What will come with the update on other Nexus devices has not been confirmed, but they are most likely going to be fixes to the overall performance.

Android 4.4.1 KitKat software update could come very soon is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

The iOS 7 software brought a bunch of new features along with it and a now popular design to the overall user interface.  Those that have the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch have experienced plenty of good things as well, but it is always the complaints that ring a little louder throughout the mobile world.  Almost immediately after Apple released the iOS 7, two small updates were issued.  The iOS 7.0.1 and 7.0.2 updates were quickly dispatched to take care of a couple small bugs, but soon brought more issues to the table according to reports.

One of the main issues was with iMessage.  A major bug disabled the application and users were forced to use the regular text messaging system through their phone instead.  That bug was reportedly going to be fixed when Apple released the iOS 7.0.3 update and that caused those with an iPad or iPod Touch to ask for another fix to all of the issues.  Apple took its time and got the iOS 7.0.4 update to users a few weeks later and that took care of an issue that users were having with the FaceTime application.  Typically, the change log for iOS updates do not reflect all of the issues that are fixed.

After the iOS 7.0.4 update showed up, a number of users were complaining about issues that many were confirming on their own devices and that included the new iPad Mini with Retina Display.  The main thing is that the issues from iOS 7.0.3 seemed to have carried over into the latest software.  Random reboots and Wi-Fi connection issues have been the main topic of discussion.  Other issues like broken email accounts, touch screen issues and other lag problems have also been popping up lately.

Apple iPhone users still complaining about iOS 7.0.4 is a post from: Mobile Bloom News

The update will take a couple of weeks to hit all of the devices over the air, but it will most likely hit the Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and the Nexus 4 all on the same day.  Google is not likely to make another public announcement, rather the notification will just show up and it will be time to download and install on your device.  In the past, Google has done the same thing with other software, so there is no reason to believe that the company would do something any different this time around.

Because Google announced that the software was coming two weeks ago, many can just keeping checking through the settings on their device to see when it will connect to get the new software.  Once you see the first Android 4.4 KitKat picture posted online, it could be up to two more weeks before your device gets in line, so users are going to have to be patient.  When the update was first announced back in September of this year, it was ahead of the iPhone 5S announcement and did not come with very much detailed information.  The only two things that Google made a note about were that it was not the Key Lime Pie update, which is Android 5.0 and that it would be coming later this year.

Those that picked up the Nexus 5 right away have been playing around with the Android 4.4 KitKat software and have been reviewing it positively for the most part.  That does not, however, mean that the software will play nicely with all of the other devices in the Nexus line.  The problem is that usually it takes a couple of days before problems show up, so it will be interesting to see how smooth the update goes.

Expect Android 4.4 KitKat update to rollout for all devices in same day is a post from: Mobile Bloom News