Just as expected, Sprint has begun rolling out its Android 4.4.2 KitKat update for the Samsung Galaxy S4. The software adds the ART runtime, the ability to change your default SMS app with ease, and Zact Mobile compatibility.

While Sony is making inroads in the high-end market with the likes of the Xperia Z1 and the upcoming Xperia Z2, its midrange device lineup isn’t too bad, either. One such midrange device is the Xperia SP, which is a slightly upgraded version of the Xperia S from 2012.

This smartphone is now getting its much-anticipated Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update from Sony carrying the software version 12.1.A.0.266.

CyanogenMod 11 users will have the ability to prevent Android apps from automatically starting when their handset launches, thanks to the system’s built-in App Ops feature. The setting was introduced with the most recent nightly builds of CM11 and announced by the CyanogenMod team on Google+.

While Android’s notification system is far superior to the iPhone’s in almost every way, Google could certainly make some improvements to the way in which we receive alerts when our smartphones are locked. All we get with stock Android is a tone and a blinking LED.

Fortunately, there are some third-party solutions that offer a lot more. SlideLock displays iPhone-style notifications on your lock screen so that you can read messages and emails without having to unlock.

It’s been just over three months since Google made Android 4.4 KitKat available to the public, but only 1.8 percent of Android-powered devices are running it. Jelly Bean continues to have the largest reach with a 60.7 percent share — up from 60.1 percent in January — while Gingerbread’s share is slowly but surely getting smaller.