Google has just announced an update to Android 4.1, Jellybean and this is a relatively minor update and is going to be labeled Android 4.2 Jellybean. The update will be available over the next few weeks and with the new Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 devices. Though the update is quite minor, it still packs some exciting features, particularly for tablet users who are going to be introduced to a fresh mobile computing experience.
For starters, the new version is not going to look much different from the existing Jellybean, except for large tablets. Initial rumors said that the new OS will take on an interface that was similar to the one that the Google Nexus 7 tablet had and that is indeed true. While notifications so far had a tile type interface on the bottom right corner and the app drawer was at the top right corner, the new version will feature a pull down notifications bar and Favorites at the bottom of the screen with the app drawer icon centered on the screen. This UI resembles the one on current Android smartphones. Large 10” tablets will have six spots for favorites, three on each side of the app drawer and a Google search bar at the top that gives one touch access to Google Now. Despite all these changes, it is possible that hardware manufacturers might stick with the older design given Android’s open source license.
There are some important things that are different about Android 4.2. So far, widgets were allowed on the lock screen only with third party applications but there is going to be native support for widgets on the lock screen. There is also the facility of multiple lock screen panels for widgets. Settings can also be accessed quickly with a Quick Settings feature in the notifications bar. In existing versions, this would open up the full menu but Android will feature Quick Settings now.
The most anticipated feature of Android 4.2, which is exclusive to tablets, is multi user support. Android 4.2 tablets can be shared between users via separate profiles, just like a fully fledged PC can. All users will have their own set of applications, home screens and the like. This feature is not available for phones, for obvious reasons; phones are far more personal than tablets. Other features include an improved Swype capability and a personalized music-discovery tool on the Play Store.
