Kit-Kat: Upgrading Maybe Not Such a Good Idea.

[dddave]

Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean...I've anticipated every Android update like a kid at Christmas and downloaded them the moment the local distribution came through.

KitKat was no different. I had just bought a new Moto G (1st gen.) for my GF through Lazada and it arrived from a Hong Kong based vendor last week. The Moto G's manufacture date was June of '14 so it had Android 4.3 installed. Not long after I initially fired it up, the availability notice of the Android 4.4.2 update came through and I downloaded it without a 2nd thought. Just as soon as the 4.4.2 update finished installation, the 4.4.4 update announced itself so I downloaded that on top of the 4.4.2.

I wish I had waited. I wish I had done a bit of Googling before I jumped in.

The Moto-G's Wi-Fi cuts on and off though the signal is good and my other devices are ok. It goes into "Airplane Mode" spontaneously and the battery drains rapidly. Post facto Googling revealed that this is a common series of problems with the 4.4.4 update, not only with the Moto G, but with other phones as well. When my Zenphone-5 updated to 4.4.2 last month, I lost my keyboard and OTG capability. With some help from the Zenphone users forum I was able to get my keyboard back. I haven't tried the OTG since so not sure if it's there or not.

From what I've been reading, there are a number of take-aways on Kit-Kat that people should be aware of before they upgrade. Most importantly, it makes it difficult if not impossible for users to download apps to the SD card by default. It also disables USB OTG on many devices that previously had it. Some device manufacturers have agreements that precluded this (Samsung, HTC, LG) but for many, it's gone.

Apparently, Google, the parent of Android wants to push "Cloud Storage" down peoples throats by reducing the availability of user personal storage options. Google giveth and Google taketh away.

If you have not already upgraded to Android KitKat, or from 4.4.2 to 4.4.4, I'n not saying not to do it. I'm just suggesting you do a little reading first and decide if what you will get is really what you want.

The tech press is drooling all over itself awaiting the release soon of Android-5 or L as some call it. I can't help but wonder what take-aways that will have hidden under the gift-wrap.

[crazygreg44]

did you turn off the automtic update mode in your settings, and does that help ?

I see no problem in resisting any updates and stick with the original version that was on the device when you bought it ( as long as everything works fine, that is )

Edited January 18, 2015 by crazygreg44

[Langsuan Man]

The tech press is drooling all over itself awaiting the release soon of Android-5 or L as some call it. I can't help but wonder what take-aways that will have hidden under the gift-wrap.

Lollipop , Android 5.0 was sent over the air on November 12, 2014, and has already had to minor updates of 5.0.1 and 5.0.2. Kit Kat ( 4.1 was released on July 12th 2012 and 4.4 followed on October 31st 2013) so your problems may be the phone and not the update to Kit Kat

[RolandRat]

Old addage, if aint broke, dont try to fix it.

[Chicog]

The tech press is drooling all over itself awaiting the release soon of Android-5 or L as some call it. I can't help but wonder what take-aways that will have hidden under the gift-wrap.

Lollipop , Android 5.0 was sent over the air on November 12, 2014, and has already had to minor updates of 5.0.1 and 5.0.2. Kit Kat ( 4.1 was released on July 12th 2012 and 4.4 followed on October 31st 2013) so your problems may be the phone and not the update to Kit Kat

I've got Temasek's CM12 on my Note 3 and it rocks.

If KitKat is causing problems, suggest the OP upgrades to it.

http://www.android.gs/install-cm12-android-5-0-lollipop-on-moto-g/

[2fishin2]

Old addage, if aint broke, dont try to fix it.

If that were true, we wouldnt be discussing this on computer devices. We would be chipping communication out of stone....

[Chicog]

Old addage, if aint broke, dont try to fix it.

If that were true, we wouldnt be discussing this on computer devices. We would be chipping communication out of stone....

[Thaimaishoe]

If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features!

[CharlieH]

If it works, does what it is supposed to, meets your needs, why mess about with upgrades.

If its the wife's phone she wouldnt know the difference (probably) anyway.

[keeniau96]

Just received the over-the-air 5.0.2 upgrade on my 2011 Nexus 7. Had Kit-Kat 4.4.4 before, also result of OTA upgrade. No problems, all looks very fine. Check with Google to see the long list of improvements, including speed and battery life. If you like the OS you have you can keep that OS

[robenroute]

dddave, it's a little different from what you're suggesting regarding the storage. You might want to give this a read: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2014/oct/09/how-can-i-get-android-kitkat-to-work-with-my-sd-cards

In fact, current behaviour is a blessing, compared to what is was (from a security point of view). It's the app developers doors you should be knocking on: they haven't got their stuff sorted. I've got a phone with an SD card running 4.4.4 and I have no problems: music, videos and some apps reside on the SD card without a problem.

And as far as your device goes: we've also got a Moto G running 4.4.4 in use here and everything works like a charm. Perhaps there are issues with certain production batches, but it's not (per se) KitKat's doing.

Hope you get you problems sorted.

[wpcoe]

I got burnt a couple times* with iOS "upgrades" by being an early adopter when I had an iPhone. I currently have a Sony Android phone with 4.4.4, and Sony has promised an upgrade to Lollipop next month (Feb.) My main interest is to see if the Sony's Lollipop update enables saving of raw (e.g. .dng) photo images. If it doesn't, I might not update unless I see some other must-have feature. Regardless, I probably will wait a few weeks to see how it goes with other users -- I follow a couple of online forums dedicated to my particular Sony model.

* One nasty surprise was an iOS update that disabled tethering on, and only on, iPhone4. I was in a new home in Mexico waiting for the cable guys to install DOCSIS internet. I had relied on tethering my iPhone for desktop computer internet access. Poof! Gone with a "routine" iOS update. Took Apple *months* to correct it. I'm not singling out Apple, as it could just as well have happened with Android.

[casualbiker]

I got a Moto G runs perfectly ok on 4.4.4

Some user's did have problems and it seemed that deleting cache sorted it.

[astral]

It pays to check you have enough umpf before you upgrade

I replace Gingerbread with Kitkat on an old Ace2

It ran but was far too slow

just not enough computing power for the new OS

[casualbiker]

It pays to check you have enough umpf before you upgrade

I replace Gingerbread with Kitkat on an old Ace2

It ran but was far too slow

just not enough computing power for the new OS

Strange as kitkat was supposed to use less than ics and has been used on some very basic phones. It could possibly have been the rom not configured correctly. Many aftermarket roms have glitches.

[h90]

best experiences for me are custom roms.

[LivinLOS]

If it works, does what it is supposed to, meets your needs, why mess about with upgrades.

If its the wife's phone she wouldnt know the difference (probably) anyway.

Because generally upgrades are just that.. Why I have had nexus line phones since the nexus one.. KitKat was a huge step up over 2.4 and lollipop again so much nicer UI features.