There’s mildly good news for Galaxy Nexus owners anyone else who can’t participate in the Android 4.4 “KitKat” rollout coming to devices in the coming weeks. Enterprising enthusiasts have extracted a few of the highlights of the new Nexus 5‘s software made them available for installation on non-KitKat Android devices, including the new launcher, search app, keyboard, clock.

ongside a Nexus device release, typically unloads a factory image of the new device’s software. These releases are meant primarily as tools for restoring a Nexus device to factory settings. But lucky for early adopters, hackers also like publish some of the cool bits of the latest Android release as downloadable As for everyone to enjoy.

Not without risk

Image: Droid fe

Trying out the latest greatest Android OS improvements can be great fun, but installing unofficial software isn’t without risk. First of all, these A downloads are meant for the Nexus 5 specifically may not play nice on other hardware. Secondly, there’s always the risk that unofficial software can come with malware or other nasty code that messes up your device or steals data. That’s unlikely in this case, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

If your Android device is set-up for downloading unofficial software you underst the risks, head over to Droid fe for links to the As.

finally gives us a break

The new version of Android is rolling out to most Nexus devices, with the notable exception of the Galaxy Nexus, which falls outside of ‘s official 18-month support window. Anyone running a community-built Android ROM such as CyanogenMod will also have to wait until Android 4.4 comes to their preferred Android build.

And that’s where factory image teardowns come in hy: They allow daring enthusiasts to at least sample upcoming Android offerings, even if their hset doesn’t officially support the new features. st don’t forget to back up your phone before diving in.