Today was the rumored date for the Android 4.4 update to hit US Cellular's Moto X, and in this case the speculation was right on the money. Motorola has updated the help page and release notes with OTA details, and Motorola's Punit Soni also confirmed the rollout on Google+.

Android 4.4 is going to reach users in stages, with the first phase starting today. There will be some improvements specific to the Moto X in this update, not just the usual KitKat stuff. Here are the details on what you'll be getting with Android 4.4 on the USC Moto X:

  • Android™ 4.4, KitKat: Android 4.4, KitKat, is the latest release of the Android platform. KitKat includes enhancements such as restyled status and navigation bars, a new full-screen mode, color emoji support, improved closed captioning support, stronger security, smarter power use, and more tools and capabilities for better app development.
  • Phone dialer: Improved the phone app with the ability to look up contacts directly from the dial pad, see and tap frequent contacts, and search your corporate directory easily.
  • Camera - Focus and exposure: Enhanced the "touch to focus" option with a new circular, on screen control that can be dragged by your finger around the viewfinder to adjust a photo's focus and exposure.
  • Gallery - Photo editing: Added new photo editing options to the Gallery app including new filter effects, draw on your photos, advanced cropping, and adjustments to color, exposure, contrast and more.
  • Hangouts -SMS/MMS support: Incorporated a new version of Google Hangouts that supports integrated SMS/MMS messaging. Hangouts can be set as the default SMS app under Settings > Wireless > Default SMS app.
  • Touchless Control - "Find my phone": Added a new "Find my phone" command to Touchless Control. Just say "OK, Google Now-find my phone" and your Moto X will ring loudly to let you know where it's hiding when you've misplaced it nearby.
  • NFC - Host card emulation: Enhanced support for NFC Host Card Emulation (HCE), to improve experiences such as contactless payments, loyalty plans, transit passes, card access and more.
  • Accessory support: Added support for Square credit card reader

You will eventually be able to pull the update from the system menu, but you'll have to wait for the update to be available first. It's probably best to wait for the update notification. And yes, this means the Sprint Moto X is the only variant that lacks Android 4.4. Soni says they're working on it, though.

[Release Notes, Update Info, +Punit Soni]