Android 4.4 KitKat Release Date Arrives: AT&T Moto X Gets OTA Update With Multiple Enhancements

Here's some great news for the owners of the AT&T (NYSE:T) variant of the Moto X -- the carrier announced the rollout of the Android 4.4 KitKat over-the-air, or OTA, update for the device on Friday.

The firmware update is 326.5MB in size, and it's the third Moto X variant -- Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and T-Mobile (NYSE:TMUS) were first -- to be upgraded to the latest Android version. To check for the update, users have to navigate to Settings > About phone > System updates. For detailed instructions, click here.

“We are excited to announce a new software update for Moto X by Motorola. With this upgrade you get the latest version of the Android OS (Android 4.4 KitKat) as well as new features, enhancements and bug fixes for your Moto X,” according to an official statement from Motorola.

According to AT&T, the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Moto X includes key enhancements to the user interface, a phone dialer app, focus and exposure functionality, and gallery apps. Although the update is quite similar to stock Android, there are a few Moto X-specific OEM additions, such as a renovated camera app with gesture controls for focus and exposure.

Here are some of the significant improvements added to the new firmware:

Improved user interface: The Android 4.4 KitKat includes enhancements, such as restyled status and navigation bars, a new full-screen mode, color emoji support, improved closed captioning support, stronger security and smarter power use.

Phone dialer app: The phone app now includes the ability to look up contacts directly from the dial pad, see and tap frequent contacts, and search corporate directories easily.

Focus and exposure: The “touch to focus” option has been enhanced with a new circular on-screen control that can be dragged by a finger around the viewfinder to adjust a photo’s focus and exposure.

Gallery app: New photo editing options are now available in the Gallery app, including new filter effects, the ability to draw on your photos, advanced cropping, and adjustments for color, exposure and contrast, among others.

Hangouts - SMS/MMS support: A new version of Google hangouts has been incorporated that supports integrated SMS/MMS messaging.

Touchless Control - "Find my phone": A new "Find my phone" command has been added to Touchless Control. Users need to say "OK, Google Now-find my phone" and the handset will ring loudly to let users know where it is.