Android 4.4.3 KitKat Update Imminent: T-Mobile Announces New Software For Nexus Devices, AOSP Code And Factory Images Available

The Android 4.4.3 KitKat update is now confirmed at last after several months of rumors and unofficial sightings.

T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS:NYSE) shared information about the over-the-air Android 4.4.3 update for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones and the Nexus 7 tablet on its software support page on Monday. The update, which will focus on security enhancements and various bug fixes, will be available over the air through next Monday. Users can check to see if the update is available for their device by accessing Settings > About Phone > System Updates. After next Monday, the update will only be available as a download for manual installation.

The Nexus 5 will update to the Android 4.4.3 build version KTU84M, while the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 will update to the build version KTU84L. When updating, users should be sure to have a data connection available and that their Nexus devices are charged to at lease 50 percent.

Android 4.4.3 is expected to address more than three dozen bugs brought on by the current KitKat version Android 4.4.2. Many hope to see a resolution to issues with the Nexus 5 camera: the lens’ inability to focus and a bluish tint in the presence of white light. Other glitches users hope to see resolved include Bluetooth and data connection problems as well as various battery draining issues.

One matter having to do with battery drain caused by the Nexus 5 camera is localized within the mm-qcamera-daemon system code, which allows third-party apps (like Snapchat or Skype) access to a device’s camera. The mm-qcamera-daemon process continues to run even when those apps are closed and contributes to battery drain.

Currently, no Nexus users on T-Mobile have reported receiving the Android 4.4.3 update, so exactly what the system entails remains unknown. Several sources note that this is not the first time a carrier has announced the Android 4.4.3 update. Sprint (NYSE: S) shared information about the update on its software support page in April, only to retract the announcement and pull the update days later.

However, this time Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is also making moves to indicate that the Android 4.4.3 update is in fact on its way. Android 4.4.3 factory images for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 are now available at the Google Developers website. Factory images allow users to restore devices back to their original factory firmware in the event of irreparable issues.

Google has also made the Android 4.4.3 code available on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which programmers can use as the building block to custom software. Android Police has identified the codes associated with Android 4.4.3.

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