If you’re ready to try out Android 4.4 KitKat, there are workarounds available. While we always advocate waiting for something official, the open source nature of Android lends itself to these situations. While downloading the new apps can be fun, it still doesn’t quite emulate KitKat perfectly, but they do a really nice job.
Essentially, what you’re doing is building your own KitKat build. By using what can be consider aftermarket parts for this build, you’ll get the kit-car of KitKat. It won’t be perfect, and you’ll absolutely see the difference when you compare the two, but it’s probably the best unofficial KitKat you’re going to see.
Droid Life was good enough to provide links for all the Google apps you’ll need, like Search and Play Services. It’s also worth noting that the new launcher will need three separate apps: Play Services, Search, and the Google Home APK. This is part of the new way Google Now functions with Android, and it’s pretty sublime. Definitely something you’ll want to check out.
From there, it needs to look the part. You’ll be able to download all the Android 4.4 wallpapers straight from XDA Developers. We can’t say they’re as good as past designs, but they’re officially KitKat, so we accept them for what they are.
Again, remember that you’re likely to run into issues with this. Phandroid noticed a glitch where Google Search was force closing. The fix was pretty simple: select a different language, do a search, repeat three times, and revert back to your native language. It’s an odd issue, but that’s the type of thing you get in these situations.
You do know that the home app has the wallpapers cooked in, right?