Motorola begins rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat for the Moto X on Verizon, less than three weeks after debut

Motorola today announced it has started rolling out its Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Moto X. Verizon Wireless customers will get the new version as soon as today, with other countries and carriers to follow “very soon,” according to the Google-owned company.

Here is what Motorola is promising for its Moto X users with the KitKat release (you may also want to check out the full release notes):

• An improved phone dialer. Now you can search for contacts directly from the dial-pad and easily see and tap on those you contact frequently.
• More gallery goodies. KitKat packs in some cool, new gallery effects—such as Posterize, Highlights, and Edges. You can even use the Draw feature to annotate your photos freehand with your finger.
• New Hangouts app. All of your conversations now in one place—texts, video calls, and other chats all together in one app. Plus, you can now send animated gifs and share your location.
• Color emojis. For when words aren’t enough, the Google Keyboard now includes colorful characters to send in text messages and other communications.
• Drag to focus and expose. An updated camera app lets you control both the focus and exposure of your photos. Simply drag your finger to set just the right exposure and focus point.
• And more… Restyled status and navigation bars, new full-screen mode, and enhancements to Motorola features like Touchless Control.

It’s unfortunate that only Verizon customers can get all these features right now. Nevertheless, we have to admit that this is a very quick turnaround for Motorola: less than three weeks after KitKat’s release, the update is already rolling out to the Moto X.

“Our software team has been hard at work bringing the latest version of Android to our Moto X users more quickly than ever,” Motorola explains. “When it came to KitKat, we couldn’t wait to deliver. Our software strategy is to build on a pure Android foundation and complement existing Google services, not compete with them.”

If you want to start the upgrade process, head over to Motorola’s software upgrade page.

See also – Motorola cuts 16GB Moto X price to $99.99 on Sprint, US Cellular, and AT&T via Moto Maker and Everything we currently know about Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat

Top Image Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images