Are these the first Android 4.4 KitKat screen grabs?

Nearly two dozen photos surface which purport to be the first looks at Android 4.4 KitKat.

(Credit: Gadget Helpline)

Nearly two dozen photos landing online may prove to be our first look at the upcoming Android 4.4 upgrade, also known as KitKat.

Tech blog GadgetHelpLine has shared a small gallery of images which allege to be an early build of Android 4.4. Judging by their impressions of the platform, we might expect the next version of Android to be an incremental update with minor tweaks. For what it's worth, the OS they spent time with was likely an older, perhaps unfinished, build. There were no mentions of KitKat; however, there are multiple references to Key Lime Pie.

Noteworthy findings in the Android 4.4 release are integrated options for printing, managing payments, wireless display ( Miracast), and a "Manage Mobile plan." Digging a little deeper, the blog also found options to prevent background applications from using additional data when connected to personal hotspots. Other, subtle changes include smoother animations and white icons in the notification instead of the blue we currently have.

The photo gallery experience may see enhancements such as the option to save images locally in PDF format, export in a variety of sizes and quality, and apply new filters and effects. The native printing options include paper size, number of copies, orientation, and choosing between color or black and white. From the sounds of it, Google may be including Cloud Print at an OS level instead of relying on mobile applications.

As far as apps are concerned, this particular build was loaded with Drive, Keep, and Quickoffice. These three Google apps and services may prove to be part of the stock Android experience moving forward.

Google is expected to unveil the Nexus 5 and official details of Android 4.4 KitKat later this month so we might expect more leaks in the coming days.