A taste of Android 4.4 KitKat? (pictures)

In the days and weeks leading up to Google's new Nexus 5 smartphone and the next Android version that will power it, we'll be in for our fair share of unofficial sneak peek images. Some will prove to be spot on, others complete fabrications or red herrings, but the uncertainty of it all is part of the fun. Here's a collection of images that tech blog Gadget Helpline got its hands on that may (or may not) shed some light on Android 4.4.

Note that both the icon in the previous slide and the version listed here represent Key Lime Pie, what KitKat would have been called before Google paired with the candy bar maker. The citrusy reference points to this as a collection of early images that, even if accurate, could have very well changed. So take this "lime" with a grain of salt.

Most apps look familiar, but Google could add even more services to its usual lineup.

Filters are all the rage, and here, Android 4.4 could see more native treatment in the editing app.

More detailed photos effects lay dynamic borders over a picture, like a filmstrip or a distressed frame.

Editing choices could include cropping, straightening, rotation, flipping an image, and drawing tools.

Google isn't usually huge on customizing colors in its photo app; that could all change.

If these photos are right, camera settings also get a fresh new look.

This screen clearly represents the native dialer, which gets a lighter, brighter treatment.

Baking printing into Android means that the smartphone could more automatically and easily connect with other devices (or perhaps save an image as a PDF), without the need for third-party apps to ease the way.

In this photo, mobile payments find a home in the settings menu, an effort, perhaps, to integrate Google services even more closely with your real-world billfold.