Snack on all the rumors we've heard about Android 'KitKat'

If all the predictions come true, we're a short while away from the release of Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system. So far, it has attracted attention purely because of its controversial branding, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. We're going to take a look at everything KitKat related here, ensuring you're completely up to speed ahead of any official announcement.

What's with the name?

Until now, Google's Android versions have been named after generic dessert-related snacks, such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Donut, making 4.4 KitKat the first to adopt the name of an actual product. So has Google sold out? Well, according to a report by the BBC, no money changed hands at Google and KitKat company Nestle. Instead, Google execs wanted to do something, "Fun and unexpected," and found inspiration after seeing the eponymous chocolate bars in a Google refrigerator, and the deal was finalized after a single phone call.

KitKat's confirmation revealed that Key Lime Pie, the name previously associated with the K release of Android, was used internally up to the last moment, so as not to ruin the surprise. Love it or hate it, there's no denying it has attracted plenty of attention, right down to Nestle's geeky, cheeky commercial, and using an Android robot on its KitKat packaging. No money may have technically changed hands, but make no mistake, this is a marketing/advertising deal between Google and Nestle.

When's it coming?

It's already been officially announced, so it won't be long until Android 4.4 is released, and according to rumors we could see it on October 14. If that date rings a bell, it's because we're also expecting to see the Nexus 5 smartphone on the same day. Of course, the Nexus 5 is probably also going to be the launch device for Android 4.4, just as the Nexus 7 was for Android 4.3 just a few months ago. A new Nexus 10 tablet could also be revealed at the same event.

As with previous editions of Android, we expect the most recent Nexus hardware to get an update to Android 4.4 when it's released. Whether the release will happen on October 14 or October 30, which is when the Nexus 5 may go on sale, isn't yet known.

How about the features?

Keep your expectations in check. This is another small update of Android Jelly Bean (the fourth one), and not Android 5.0, which could reasonably be expected to bring a more radical change. For that reason, there are sure to be many performance improvements and bug fixes to improve the already polished Jelly Bean experience.

Nothing shocking there, but what's more surprising is the lack of leaks concerning the OS. Does this mean there really aren't that many alterations or new features, or has Google screwed any leaky lids down tighter this time around?

If it's the latter, we've still learned a few things about Android 4.4. For example, a set of leaked screenshots showed a revised user interface across the dialer and other basic apps, but there are question marks over whether they're genuine or not. Other screenshots show a cleaner look to some menus.

A leaked version of Key Lime Pie - which suggests it was created before KitKat was made official, and therefore could be outdated - also showed a new dialer app, plus the addition of various Google apps such as Drive and Keep. Google Keep was added to Android 4.3.1, released recently for the 2013 LTE Nexus 7.

The camera app may get an update in Android 4.4, and the version seen in Key Lime Pie borrowed some features which will be familiar to Instagram users, such as tilt-shift, center focus, and an option to alter an image's quality before sharing it. New options for payments and printing were also found in the menu system, and the former could be related to Google dropping NFC from Google Wallet.

A new version of Android's messaging app may also make an appearance, with Hangouts taking center stage, and SMS and MMS functions being baked into it, like Apple's iMessage (boy, it would be cool if they could communicate together, but we're not holding our breath). Screenshots have shown this to be a user-definable option, indicating a stock Messaging app should remain.

Any potential surprises?

Seeing as we know so little about Android 4.4 KitKat, yes, we'd say there's a good chance we're in for a small surprise or two. We're intrigued by Google's own Android 4.4 statement, which says, "It's our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience for everybody." This could simply mean Google just wants to reach more than its billion worldwide users, but it could also mean the OS is expanding, and will operate on more hardware than ever before.

Android flourishes on cheap phones, but the experience isn't all that great on the real entry-level devices, so Google may optimize 4.4 KitKat for use on basic phones with 512MB of RAM, a feature previously rumored for Key Lime Pie.

That's about all we know about Android 4.4 KitKat at the moment, but we're still a week or so away from its possible release, and there's still time for a few more leaks and rumors to emerge. We'll be updating here should any catch our interest.