Google’s mobile Android OS is already in a league of its own, the search engine giant recently released Kit Kat, or Android’s 4.4 update. Kit Kat in its purest form is currently only available for Nexus devices and the Moto X, but is expected to rollout to most models and carriers soon. The self-stated goal of Android 4.4 is to catch phones up to the latest version of the OS.

The biggest changes from 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 (Jelly Bean) primarily lie in the Google apps themselves, indicating a change in Google’s approach to how it updates the OS. Most of the apps described below are available from the Google Play store in some form, and can technically be downloaded to any Android device.

Hangouts: The Google+ based messaging app now does SMS! Just set the default app in settings. The app’s User Interface (UI) is clean, modern and easy to navigate. Sliding gestures to navigate mean this app is up to scratch with other Google apps.

Phone: The Phone app now makes it easier than ever to call your favorite people. Contacts are ordered based on who you talk to the most, or who you have recently talked to. Caller ID is also smarter. Whenever you get a call from a phone number not in your contacts, your phone will look for matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps. I have not been able to use this feature yet, but it certainly sounds convenient.

Keyboard: The keyboard now has emojis (or rather, emojis with color). Those jealous of their iPhone-owning friends shall worry no longer.

Launcher: Google has released a new launcher (or home screen) that integrates fully with Google search and Google Now (a more convenient alternative to Siri). Icons are larger and the home screen generally looks prettier.

Other features include being able to print directly from your phone or tablet, an updated camera app, and more. You can read them about them here. You can download Google Keyboard and Hangouts directly from Google Play.