Google is still finishing off the development work on the Android L version which is the successor of the Android 4.4 KitKat. Meanwhile, the Android 4.4 KitKat running smartphones are now flooding the Indian market. With a price ranging going as low as Rs 2,999 from Maxx Mobile and Celkon, the version is rapidly bringing thousands of users aboard every day.
This week, we bring you five top smartphones running Android 4.4 KitKat update that offer commendable hardware and decent overall performance. These smartphones rest between the budget of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.
Xiaomi, known as Mi India, introduced the Mi3 that features a 5-inch IPS LCD display with 1920×1080 pixel resolution. Offering a great pixel density of 441 pixels per inch, the smartphone offers one of the best displays in the segment. Mi has powered the Mi3 smartphone with a quad-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8274AB mobile Chipset coupled with Adreno 330 and paired it with 2 GB RAM.
For storage, the phone offers 16 GB on-board but there is no memory card slot. The company has not shared any plans to introduce its 64 GB model. The Mi3 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean version optimised with the MIUI version 5, basically based on the Android Open Source Project code.
The Mi3 features a 13 megapixel camera with f/2.2 Aperture and Dual LED flash. This camera has video stabilizer feature and can capture full HD videos. Mi3 offers high speed 3G connectivity through a mini-SIM card and also via Dual-Band WiFi support. Besides, it has Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and WiFi Direct support. Mi3 also has a massive 3050 mAh battery. Only flipside about the device is availability – one has to register with Flipkart and take part in the flash sale.
Motorola Moto G comes with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD display with 1280×720 pixels resolution. The display has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating too that provides some protection against the normal wear and tear. Its replaceable and colourful back panels have also created a stir in the market. The Moto G is powered by a quad-core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 mobile chipset, Adreno 305 GPU, and 1 GB RAM. Motorola Moto G measures 11.6 mm thick and weighs 143 grams. Note that Moto G does not have a memory card slot, so you have to carefully choose from its 8 GB and 16 GB versions. 
At the rear, Moto G packs 5 megapixel camera with Autofocus and LED flash along with imaging features such as geo-tagging, touch focus, face-detection, panorama and HDR. The camera can record HDR videos and videos at 720p (HD) quality. In the front, it has a 1.3 megapixel camera for making video calls. Motorola has packed WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) in the Moto G for faster mobile web experience. Moto G supports quad-band HSPA+ network for faster mobile internet and can accommodate a micro-SIM module. Other features of Moto G include Bluetooth 4.0, USB Host, micro USB 2.0 and GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS. The smartphone has a good looking 2070 mAh non-removable battery.
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Micromax Canvas Knight
This Dual-SIM handset offers 3G network support in one SIM and 2G network support in second. The Canvas Knight A350 features 5-inch IPS LCD display with full 1080p HD resolution. The display offers a crisp text and images with pixel density of 440 pixels per inch. Micromax has powered this smartphone with the octa-core 2 GHz MediaTek MT6592T mobile chipset which is paired with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB built-in storage without a memory card slot.
Micromax has used a 16 megapixel camera with OmniVision Image Sensor coupled with M8 Largan Lens. The camera also works with Voice Command and offers several options such as touch focus, face detection, auto focus and more. This camera can record full HD videos as well. By default, it runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and offers connectivity features such as Bluetooth and WiFi support. Loaded with several apps, the Canvas Knight A350 packs 2350 mAh battery capacity. Do check our review of Micromax Canvas Knight A350.
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 flaunts a 5.25-inch TFT touchscreen display with 1280×720 pixel resolution and thereby offering pixel density of 280 pixel per inch. It has a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core mobile Processor and 1.5 GB RAM. The Grand 2 runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system but it has the TouchWiz user interface. The phone also comes with Samsung Store and other exclusive apps. The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 comes with an 8 megapixel auto focus camera and an LED Flash at the back. 
This camera can be used to record full HD videos with stereo sound. In the front, it has a modest 1.9 megapixel camera for video calls. The dual SIM version offers HSPA (3G) network support in one of the SIM slots. Other than that the Grand 2 has WiFi, Bluetooth, FM Radio, and GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS support. Samsung has packed 2600 mAh battery to power this device. Our initial thoughts on the Galaxy Grand 2 is available in the First Cut.
At 5.5 mm thick, Gionee Elife S5.5 is world’s slimmest smartphone. It has a 5 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with full HD resolution. Gionee has used the Android-based Amigo operating system in Elife S5.5 which is a heavily customised version of Android. This smartphone has recently got the Android 4.4 KitKat update. Gionee Elife S5.5 is armed with an octa-core 1.7 GHz processor and 2 GB of RAM. As of now only one model of the phone with 16 GB internal storage has been announced which does not have any micro SD card slot. 
The handset has a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera. Besides, there is a 2,300 mAh non removable battery in the phone. For connectivity, this 3G smartphone (with 42 Mbps download speed) comes with WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a micro USB port with USB on-the-go feature that would enable users to directly connect it with an external storage device like a pen drive via a ‘male micro USB to female full USB’ cable. Check our review of the Gionee Elife S5.5 to know more about the handset.