Android 4.4.2 rolling out to Verizon’s LG G Pad 8.3

While many devices are making the jump to Android 4.4.4 or the lesser 4.4.3, Verizon’s LG G Pad 8.3 is just arriving at software version 4.4.2. Although it’s not Google’s latest and greatest, this is still an upgrade for those who invested in this carrier connected slate. The highlights of this new software push include: Immersive Mode, which automatically places apps in full screen view and LG’s Knock Code security feature that lets users set up screen tap patterns to wake or lock their device.

In addition to the aforementioned standouts, this new software changes the device’s battery icon from blue to white and adds support for printers from HP, as well as Google’s Cloud Print. Lastly, Big Red’s new software bump adds multi-user access, which lets you create separate user profiles on a single device.

The update is rolling out as an over-the-air push, so it might take a little while to hit your tablet, however you can try to manually initiate the download through your device’s settings tab. If you already have the update installed, we’d love to know how it’s treating you and your G Pad.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat update for Lava Iris 504Q+ handset now available

Lava Iris 504Q+ handset owners are going to have an exciting week ahead as Android 4.4.2 KitKat has started rolling out out for the smartphone in India. The new update is being seeded over the air and introduces various new features as well as a fresh UX.



The Lava Iris 504Q+ went official a couple of months back and it was offered with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It’s not quite common to see handsets in the affordable market receive major software updates, but that looks to be changing.

There’s no changelog from the company as yet, but the new firmware will introduce a fresh dialer application and various modifications to the user interface. Battery life will also be improved, but there’s no information on how much difference will be noticeable.

As mentioned above, the release is being pushed over the air with a phased rollout. So you should be seeing a notification popup soon highlighting its availability. If you’re impatient, you could always head over to the System Update tab from the About phone menu in Settings and manually check whether the firmware is available for you device.

Here are the key specs of the Lava Iris 504Q+:

- 5-inch 720p HD display w/ Dragon-trail Glass
- 1.3GHz quad core processor
- 1GB RAM
- 8MP storage, 32GB expandable
- 10MP Sony Exmor RS rear camera, 2MP front snapper
- 2000mAh battery
- Dual SIM support
- HSPA+ 21Mbps, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi

The Lava Iris 504Q+ was launched at Rs 13990 back in April, but its price has been dropped down to Rs 11499, making it an alluring mid-range handset.

Gionee Elife E7 Mini Gets Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update in India

 

Gionee, a popular Chinese smartphone maker, has released the Android 4.4.2 KitKat update for its Elife E7 Mini handset in India. It is worth noting that the smartphone, when launched in December last year, came with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box.

For now, customers will not be able to update their handsets, and will have to visit a Gionee service centre (full list) to get their Elife E7 Mini updated to Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The company made the announcement via a post on its Facebook page for India. A detailed changelog is also available (via Android OS), with the various changes the update brings with it.

The Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is said to bring a new desktop layout design, updated Amigo paper with redesigned user interface, Du speed booster for faster performance, new gaming user interface giving a better grip over gaming applications, as well as a new TouchPal input method and camcard.

The Gionee Elife E7 Mini also gets several changes to applications with the Android 4.4.2 KitKat update, including updates for GioneeXender for high-speed file transfers, UC browser for much responsive and better page-loading effects, NQ Mobile Security, Kingsoft WPS, and Map for one single entrance into the main menu, come as a part of the OS update.

The Elife E7 Mini comes with a 4.7-inch display with a 720x1280 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6592 processor alongside a Mali 450MP4 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The highlight of the Elife E7 mini is its 13-megapixel camera which comes with rotating capabilities; something we already saw on Oppo N1 smartphone. 
 

Key Specs

Display

4.70-inch

Processor

1.7GHz

Front Camera

No

Resolution

720x1280 pixels

RAM

1GB

OS

Android 4.2

Storage

16GB

Rear Camera

13-megapixel

Battery capacity

2200mAh

Oplus XonPhone 5 launched on Snapdeal with Android 4.4.2 KitKat

The Oplus XonPhone 5 may have a weird name, but it has gone official in India featuring a pretty alluring design and a decent offering of specs. The handset is being sold exclusively through Snapdeal where it’s priced at 7999 and is already available to purchase.



The Oplus XonPhone 5 is the second device to reach India from the Taiwanese company. The Oplus XonPad 7 which is a 7-inch Android tablet was launched earlier this year and was also exclusively sold through Snapdeal. The new smartphone is KitKat powered which gives it an advantage over many others still stuck on Jelly Bean.

If that wasn’t enough, the phone packs a good deal of features at the said price. Most handsets in this range would offer a low-resolution display, but the XonPhone 5 is equipped with a 5-inch IPS panel proffering 720p HD visuals.

Coming to the design, the smartphone looks nothing out of the ordinary from the front, but flip over to the rear and you’ll be presented with a textured panel. It more or less looks like a combination of LG G3’s arc look with the Samsung Galaxy S5’s dimpled finish. The phone is 8mm thick and it tips the scales at 170 grams which is quite heavy for its size.

Oplus XonPhone 5 key specs:

- 5-inch HD IPS OGS display
- 1.3GHz quad core MediaTek processor
- 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 32GB expandable
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Dual SIM slots
- 8MP rear camera, 2MP front shooter
- 2000mAh battery

If you’re interested in the Oplus XonPhone 5, head over to Snapdeal to purchase the smartphone in options of silver, grey and gold shades.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update For Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Duos, How To Install It Manually

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Duos with the model number GT-I9192 recently began receiving the Android 4.4.2 KitKat official firmware update, while the original Galaxy S4 Mini (GT-I9190) still runs on Android 4.2.2.

The new firmware for the Galaxy S4 mini Duos comes with the build number I9192XXUCNG2, and it includes general performance enhancement and a smooth user interface with new features such as status bar icons, new emojis, closed-captions support for videos and full-screen album art on the lock screen, SamMobile reported.

Although the firmware update is currently limited to Russia, users of the Galaxy S4 mini Duos can download the firmware and flash it manually on their handsets.

Here are the firmware details, provided by SamMobile:

Version: Android 4.4.2

Changelist: 1995154

Build date: Tue, 08 Jul 2014

PDA: I9192XXUCNG2

CSC: I9192SERCNG2

MODEM: I9192XXUCNG2

Here is a tutorial on how to upgrade the Galaxy S4 Mini Duos to the Android 4.4.2 KitKat I9192XXUCNG2 using Odin. But, before trying their hands on the installation process, users should be aware of certain aspects:

- All data stored in the handset must be backed up properly

- The handset should have at least 80 percent battery power

- The USB drivers for the device must be installed on the computer

- USB Debugging must be enabled

- After flashing the firmware, any installed custom ROM will be lost

- Custom recovery, such as ClockworkMod Recovery or TWRP, will also be lost

Note: International Business Times cannot be held responsible for anything that goes wrong. Users should proceed at their own risk.

Tutorial

Step 1: Download the firmware package and extract the zip file. There will be a .tar.md5 file along with some other files.

Step 2: Download Odin v3.09, and extract the zip file. There will be an Odin3 v3.09.exe file along with some other files.

Step 3: Run Odin3 v3.09 as an Administrator.

Step 4: Boot the Galaxy S4 Mini Duos into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons. After a warning message appears, press Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.

Step 5: Connect the phone to the computer via the USB cable and wait until an Added!! message appears in bottom left box in Odin.

Step 6: Go to the Odin window and click on the AP button and select the .tar.md5 file which was extracted in Step 1.

Step 7: In Odin, ensure that only the “Auto Reboot” and “F. Reset Time” options are checked while the “Re-Partition” option is disabled.

Step 8: Click on the Start button in Odin to begin flashing. Don’t press any buttons until all files are successfully flashed.

Step 9: After the process is complete, a “PASS!” message will appear in ID:COM port with green background and the device will restart.

Step 10: After the Samsung logo appears on the home screen, you can unplug the device from the computer. The Galaxy S4 Mini Duos will now be running on Android 4.4.2 KitKat I9192XXUCNG2.