HTC product manager Mo Versi confirmed the DROID DNA Kit Kat update earlier in the week. At the time we were told there was technical approval and that the update was expected to begin on April 24th. Of course, there was also confirmation about the update bringing Android 4.4.2 and Sense 5.5.
Well, it looks like the rollout has begun as expected. Today is April 24th and we have begun seeing reports of the update arriving on handsets. Equally as nice -- it seems Big Red has posted the changelog, which details a two update process. The first update is on the small size and sits at 18.3MB.
The first update is just a prep for the actual update. And for those curious -- the second update measures in at 618MB. Anyway, the changelog details what can be expected in terms of BlinkFeed, Location Settings, Gallery, Do Not Disturb, Lock Screen and the Music application.
BlinkFeed
- New menu delivers quicker access to search and content sources; Access by swiping from left side of the screen
- Easily turn BlinkFeed on or off; Perform a pinch-in gesture on the home screen > Then access the Edit screen > Simply tap BlinkFeed ON and BlinkFeed OFF
Location Settings
- Redesigned for ease of use and battery conservation
- Shows estimated battery use of each app
- Offers a master switch that turns all location settings on or off
- Lists which apps are using location services
- New setting enables you to choose between these location profiles: High accuracy (most battery use), Battery saving (least battery use), Device sensors (GPS only)
Gallery app
- Redesigned for easier viewing of different content configurations; Panels for each configuration (folders, highlights) have replaced the drop-down menu, Swipe left or right to switch between panels
- Quickly access photos from the cloud and social networks
- Manage and edit Video Highlights easily; From Events panel, tap desired event, then switch to Video Highlights, Select desired pictures, themes and music
Do Not Disturb
- Cut down on phone distractions during important events
- Block incoming calls: turn off sound, vibration and LED notifications
- Can be set to resume ¿normal mode¿ at a certain time; To access this feature, go to Settings > Sound > Do not disturb
- Tap on an Event to view all the pictures and videos from a particular occasion
Lock Screen
- The process to lock screen widgets has been simplified; Swipe left from the lock screen, Tap the + icon to choose a widget to add to the Lock Screen
Music app
- Redesigned for easier viewing of different content configurations; Panels for each configuration (artist, albums) have replaced the drop-down menu, Swipe left or right to switch between panels
Verizon DROID DNA users now have two options. The first is to sit back, wait for the notification to arrive and then follow the prompts. The second is the one we suspect more users will follow -- navigating to Settings -> Software update -> Status or check new, to get the process started.