Android 4.2: New ‘Jelly Beans’ tastes sweeter

The Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) and Jelly Bean (4.1) updates came within very short time difference and there wasn’t much difference feature wise in the two updates. All the features were presented in 4.0 itself but what was new in 4.1 was the level of maturity that the features presented in Jelly Bean were much more matured than in ICS.

The biggest improvement one saw in the 4.1 update was Project Butter, which was the name given to the list of adjustments which enhanced the responsiveness to touch input by the users. Under these adjustments there was inclusion of triple buffered graphics which maximizes and renders the clock speed of the CPU in the device whenever the screen is touched. All the tweaks made the 4.1 update much more consistent.

It has been 4 months since this update came out and another incremental bump is out by Android. Android 4.2 is still Jelly Beans. No drastic changes from its predecessor. However there are enough new features introduced which would keep android application developer keep hunting for new ideas to take maximum advantage of the new features.

Single device, multiple users

Multiuser support is the biggest innovation till date by Android for tablets. Usually tablets are the devices used my more than one person that can be anywhere in family, office or someplace else. Thus it is difficult to keep the data of every user safe from others. Android realized this issue and came up with multiuser feature where different users can configure every detail of the device starting from home screens to application settings. For now the feature would be available only in tablets and not the mobile phones updating their Android to 4.2.

Enhanced Notification panel

Pull-down notification panel has been a part of the android since its inception. It is so useful and such a noteworthy feature that iOS 5 update too introduced such panel for the users. It is a way for the user to keep a tab on what the device is doing.

In Android 4.1, the notifications panels were enhanced in such a way that the panels were expendable and users were able to work within the panels without clicking too many times. The notifications are no longer deleted unless swiped away or some action is taken through it.

In Android 4.2, quick settings which are part of other operating systems is used to change frequently changed settings like brightness, Wi-Fi connectivity, checking data usage, battery life, Bluetooth toggling, are added in notifications. All these settings are now available with a single touch which was previously hidden behind another screen. These notifications and quick settings are also accessible from the lock screen.

Share on big display

Wireless display is a feature available in devices using Android 4.2. Share movies, videos, photos or anything else on a bigger screen like an HDTV. A wireless display adapter is to be connected with HDMI-enabled TV so that whatever your Android device is displaying is mirrored on the bigger screen.

Fast, Fluid and smooth

It is the new Jelly Beans but it has buttery graphics and silky transitions. Don’t get too excited, it is not some tasty cuisine it

is what the Android 4.2 has in store for the users. As the project butter was already introduced in 4.1, Android 4.2 takes the legacy further and the switching between home screens is effortless just like in apps.

The touch responses are more reactive and uniform. Jelly Bean is smart enough to boost the CPU of the device when the screen is touched and used, reducing it instantly as soon as the work is done so as to improve the battery life.

Android application developers in India are already claiming this update as the iOS 6 killer with enhancements making all the iPhone features look small.

Conclusion:

Though there has been only 4 month gap between the 2 Jelly Bean updates still Android 4.2 has many good features introduced which are improving usability of the android devices and continuing its growth as a biggest contender in the smartphone world.

Meta: Android 4.2 is the new Jelly Bean update by Google. This update has tweaks changing many things from the last update. It has many good features for Android powered devices especially for the tablets which got a new feature of multi user.