The Download: Moto G Gets Android 4.4.2, KitKat, in Record Time! And more.

We don’t know about you, but over the past few weeks we’ve had visions of KitKats dancing in our heads. We’re excited to tell you we’re starting to roll out Android 4.4.2, KitKat—the very latest version—TODAY on Moto G!

What better way to kick off The Download—a regular feature that gives you the scoop on the many software updates we are rapidly cranking out. In addition to the roll out of KitKat on Moto G, our software team has been busy as elves in a workshop shipping new features for you.

Here’s the latest Download, issue 1:

Android KitKat Comes to Moto G - Our KitKat family is expanding! When we launched Moto G last month, we committed to delivering Android, KitKat, to devices by early 2014. We are thrilled to start delivering on that promise early. Starting today, we are rolling out Android 4.4.2 to Moto G phones bought on Motorola.com or Amazon.com in the U.S. KitKat will come to other Moto G carriers and regions soon as well. This latest version of Android brings some cool new features, including printing emails and photos from your phone. Read our release notes for detailed information.

This update continues our effort to get our users the latest Android software as fast as humanly possible. We began by pushing KitKat out to Moto X users on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, just weeks after Google announced the new OS—and our most recent expansion over the past few weeks includes Moto X on US Cellular and Sprint and DROID ULTRA, DROID MAXX, and DROID MINI. We also started to roll out the software in Brazil for retail devices. More carriers and regions will follow very soon.

For more information on KitKat and deployment on Motorola devices, check out our software upgrades page.

Enhanced Touchless Control - With our latest update to this feature, customers who use a device PIN to lock their phone can use Touchless Control without entering the PIN first. Don’t worry—no personal information is divulged without a PIN. And, you can also use your voice to enter your PIN. Go to the Google Play Store for more information.

Spreading Holiday Cheer - We’re getting into the holiday spirit! Turn your Moto X running KitKat off and on—and experience a little cheer with our new start-up animation. For those with a Moto G, download the Motorola Boot Services application from the Google Play Store to take part in the animated holiday tidings.

More Camera Goodness for Moto G and DROID - We’re taking the latest Camera features on Moto X on KitKat and making them available for Moto G, DROID MINI, DROID MAXX, and DROID ULTRA. This brings some enhancements photographers will love—such as Drag to Focus and Expose (manual exposure and focus with just a touch), locking exposure during Panoramic shots, and additional language support. Check out the Google Play Store for more information.

Improved Active Display - We’ve squashed some bugs! Active Display—battery-friendly notifications that fade in and out when the phone display is off—is now optimized for KitKat and works better than ever. It’s all part of our mission to listen to our users and iterate quickly. Go to the Google Play Store for more information.

More Kernel Sources! - Over the last few weeks, we released the Android 4.3, Jelly Bean kernel source for Moto G, and yesterday we released Android 4.4, KitKat kernel source for Moto X. Enjoy your custom ROMs!

The Download - Yeah, that is pretty recursive if you ask me. But our last big feature is a regular software blog which provides you with the latest on all the cool, shiny, new features and upgrades that are headed your way. Subscribe in the upper right column to stay up to date on the latest.

The last few months have been quite a wild ride. We are working hard to continually improve the experience on Motorola devices and look forward to hearing from you. Your feedback will be heard and acted on. Feel free to comment here or on our profiles on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.

Posted by Punit Soni, Product Management

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The New DROIDs Have Landed

For tech enthusiasts who demand a smartphone with high performance and stand out design, an all new team of DROID devices have arrived. DROID ULTRA and DROID MAXX are now available exclusively at Verizon Wireless stores, and DROID MINI will be available in-store over the coming days.

The next-generation DROIDS feature advanced design and performance that matters. DROID ULTRA is the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone you can buy, measuring 7.18mm, with a 5-inch HD display. DROID MAXX is the longest lasting 4G LTE smartphone in the world, giving users two full days of battery performance on a single charge. DROID MINI is a super compact device that proves that power comes in all sizes.

True to the DROID heritage, these new devices continue to pioneer innovative features. We’ve re-engineered the DROIDS from the inside out to enable amazing new software capabilities including: 

Touchless Control: lets you use the phone hands-free even when the device is asleep, allowing you to place phone calls, send texts, find directions, or search the web.

Active Display: provides the information you need to know just by glancing at the phone’s display - for stuff like time, texts, social updates, calendar notices, etc. Active Display subtly lights up a portion of the screen with notifications without having to wake the phone or pick it up.

Quick Capture: DROID can go from pocket to picture in an instant. Just shake to wake by quickly twisting your wrist and tap anywhere on the screen to snap a pic, or press and hold to capture an action sequence with rapid-fire shots.

DROID Zap: the fastest and easiest way to share photos and videos with a friend or a group of friends nearby. Swiping up on a picture instantly shares it with fellow Android users nearby, and to receive, all they need to do is swipe down on their screen.

The new DROID devices help you do things faster and stay connected to what matters most. DROID ULTRA will be available for $199.99 and DROID MAXX for $299.99, with a new two-year customer agreement. DROID MINI is $99.99 and will be available August 22. For more information, visit droiddoes.com.

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