Review: xda-developers.com Timdurus Android 4.4.2 KatKiss #21 ROM + New GApps

News from the Meerkat again: Timduru updated his KatKiss 4.4.2 ROM to version #21. There also comes a shiny new GApps with it and an addon for Google Photosphere (which yet might not be stable). So I put "The It Crowd Season #4" on my TV and started to download and flash. I went to some wierd "bugs" which solved themselves as new features and my user fealure. As always a quick backup of my newer apps and newer versions, factory reset, full wipe & format and finally installed KatKiss-4.4.2_021.zip + the new gapps-KatKiss-4.4.2_20140221b.zip

Here is what happended:

I did the usual system settings, added my email accounts, installed titanium Backup, let google sync contacts and then did and fresh NAND backup. After I used Titanium to restore the app status back to the state of #20. Even after installing the ~300 apps the tablet ran smooth as hell. Timduru stated, that he made changes that would boost Trebuchet. I can only add: Whatever happened, The Next Launcher 3D 3.06 runs smoother also. Well I just recently updated from 3.02 to 3.06 but I cant remember the new version brought such a speed boost. Will add a video later.


There is a new feature - which I first thought was a bug: A preview in the Camera quicktile (youtube video). What I first thought of would make my gallery crash and wasn't wanted, was later concluded from Tim as a feature. xDDD *facepalm* So why was my cam freezing?

Next launcher was the reason... better to say: My shortcut in a folder on the homescreen. It must have pointed to the old cam app which go obsolete with the new GApps. After deleting it and re-adding it: Every thing fine!


Here are the official changes in the GApps:

 New gapps 20140221b:
- Gallery: Fix FC on Editing/applying filters...
- Camera: Fix FC on selecting Panorama
- Remove GoogleCamera from default gapps zip to use rom's Camera by default which should be stable (but no photosphere)
- Fix Photosphere mode with GoogleCamera (might still crash when switching between photosphere and other modes - you will have to patch the (gapps-GoogleCamera_xx.zip)

My actual statement on KatKiss #21 release

Much smoother then #19 & #20. Especially for Trebuchet user. But as said: I think also other launcher may benefit too - from whatever exactly changed. Could also be the new The Next Launcher 3D 3.06. I dont care. More smoothness is just not possible (See following Video). Also the cam got patched and runs more stable and the panorama mode is back! YEY! So: I wasn't sure wether I had any benefits of #20 but I do definitivly get them out of #21.

Thanks Tim!

So lets recap whats working and whats not:

Not working in gerneral in KatKiss 4.2.2 yet:

• ART
• Multi Window
• Native Flash support*
• Camera Fishbow- and Panorama modes Fixed

 * There is a workaround with the help Dolphin browser and Jetpack. The YouTube.com app does work also.

Improvements to #20:

• New Trebuchet
• Trebuchet: Reimplement Internal Wallpaper rendering
• Browser: Reimplement Incognito mode support
• Browser: Report UserAgent as Chrome3.0 compat
• Camera: Fix panorama mode preview not showing
• Switch HWC
• Misc cleanups + updates

 Deteriorations to #20:


None so far (as I can tell)

* This bug seems to be related to a lot of suffering going on in the KitKat ROM Szene.  Think you will for now have this problems on almost any Rom. You should use a launcher. I would recomment Next Launcher 3D Shell Version (Free). The comercial ver is expensive... Fixed Trebuchet

 To be concluded:

• Forced closes of Google and Sync related apps
• Forced closes of the cam in some situations  Seems to be gone
• HMDI Working
  

Software findings:

• Still wasn't able to get any Screen Recording App to work. They all suffer the same error: 0-Byte files output. Could be related to the writing rights on certain folders. Tryed some... willl have a further look later. Mustn't be ROM related.Will try to record via Android SDK and Android Studio later.

Apps tested so far:

• Screen Recorder
• Screencast Video Recorder
• Rec. (Screen Recorder)
• KitKat Screen Capture 
• Screen Video Recorder: NO-ROOT
• SCR Screen Recorder Pro ★ root
• KitKat Screen Recorder

I will try to keep you peeps updated on the status and stability of this build.
Hope it helped. Cheers.

(You can read up everything and have a closer look at the tests on xda-developers.com)

Downloads:

Original Google Launcher
KatKiss-4.4.2_021.zip
gapps-KatKiss-4.4.2_20140221b.zip 
gapps-GoogleCamera_20140221.zip

Dedicated thread: 
Timdurus Android 4.4.2 KitKat KatKiss Rom #21

HDMI test