An extensive image gallery reportedly showing Android 4.4 KitKat running on a Nexus 4 has been posted online, with the OS still identifying itself as Key Lime Pie, Easter Egg included (screenshot above). 

Gadget Helpline is the publication that supposedly managed to score a hands-on tour of Android 4.4, posting the images in the gallery at the end of this post alongside more details about the yet-to-be-released software. 

Before proceeding, we’ll note that these images can’t be confirmed at this time, so don’t get excited/disappointed just yet. 

Assuming they’re the real deal, we aren’t surprised to see the OS still listed as Key Lime Pie.  This was the expected dessert name for the next Android version following Jelly Bean before Google announced it’s going to be called KitKat. 

In fact, from what it’s known so far, even if KitKat has been established as a name since late 2012, with the deal finalized at MWC 2013, Android 4.4 was still known internally as Key Lime Pie to prevent leaks.  That explains why recent Android 4.4 and/or Nexus 5 mention Key Lime Pie instead of KitKat – including today’s images – and why the Easter Egg shows a K coupled with a lime. 

The About phone screen shows that this Nexus 4 runs Key Lime Pie version KRS65B, and the “Hammerhead” codename is also present – the same codename has been spotted in various Nexus 5-related leaks recently. 

According to the publication, and from what we can see in these images, KitKat looks very much like Jelly Bean, with only a few design changes present.  One of them affects the notifications icons, which will reportedly be white instead of blue.  We’ll note that this is something recent leaks have suggested as well (we have even seen some screenshots), and can be seen in some of the images offered by Gadget Helpline. 

The Dialer app has apparently been retouched, with the publication noting blacks that are “less prominent and […] a nice air of bright white to lighten things up.” 

Certain under the hood improvements have also been described, including smoother animations, and a faster overall experience. 

When it comes to new features, the screenshots reveal a new Settings menu that many Android fans will find useful, and that’s Printing.  In addition to Printing, there are also new Payments and Wireless display (Miracast support) menus in Settings.  A Manage Mobile plan option has also been found under Wireless and networks. 

The printing feature seems to be available when browsing through Gallery images, but also in other apps, including QuickOffice – saving to PDF is also an option for pictures and documents.  From the looks of it, when printing a file, the user is able to customize the print by selecting appropriate paper size, orientation, color options and page numbers to print. 

Furthermore, QuickOffice apparently syncs with Drive, while QuickOffice, Drive and Keep apps look to be included in Android 4.4. 

When it comes to the Gallery app, new photo editing apps have been found including Tilt-Shift, Center Focus, Negative and Posterize, but also an “adjustable quality slider” that can be used when exporting final image versions. 

As for apps that require a mobile connection, the publication says that Android 4.4 has an option that prevents mobile data use when the phone is connected to a personal hotspot. 

With all that said, we’ll note that these screenshots hardly confirm any of the recent Android 4.4 details we have talked about – not that those are any more official.  We’ll again add that we’re not looking at a confirmed Android 4.4 build here, so take everything with a grain of salt.  And finally, even if it’s an Android 4.4 version here, it’s most likely an older one – from mid- to late August – which means things may have changed since then. 

We’ll be back with more Android 4.4 KitKat details once we have them.  Meanwhile, let us know what you think about these newly discovered screenshots. 

Update: new details discovered in some of these leaked KitKat images suggest that the Nexus 5 may be a Nexus 4 version, maybe a Nexus 4 (2013).