Google Android 4.1 Pro Reviews

From Ice Sandwich to Jelly Bean isn’t as great a leap forward as Gingerbread to ICS was. Nevertheless, the update delivers increased performance and new features in spades. Is Android now the most refined and powerful mobile OS currently available? The case could certainly be made.

Google’s latest version of the Android operating system is known as Jelly Bean, where the version number stands at 4.1. This is the latest version that will be built on top of Ice Cream Sandwich, and was first introduced officially to the masses when Google I/O kicked off. Basically, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean delivered a faster and more fluid user interface, a voice search experience that many would say pummels Apple’s Siri (to each his or her own), as well as improved search capability.

This bit of nitpicking aside, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is strictly a win-win situation for those who can install it. Unfortunately, at this writing that's limited to Samsung's Galaxy S or Galaxy Nexus handsets, Motorola's Xoom and Google's own Nexus 7 tablet. While time will tell if this tasty treat can ultimately remedy the platform's larger fragmentation problem, manufacturers and carriers have less reason than ever to load up devices with their own UI enhancements. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is a thing of beauty, and should be a nice boost for Google's own Nexus-branded hardware. For those who have been on the fence, you'll definitely want to give Jelly Bean a look – this could be the version to finally sway you into Mountain View's camp.

This update, once again, is more like an in-between sort of tweak festival for the most part, but it does have its big advances as well. I’ve found myself quite a few times already in the short time we’ve had my hands on Jelly Bean utilizing Google Now and working with Voice Search as if I’d always had it (and them) on hand. Users with Nexus devices will hopefully be getting this update relatively quickly, while the rest of the Android world will probably be waiting several months (or weeks, if there’s a miracle in the wind) before they get to use it. Unless you’re a fan of hacking, of course, as there are already ROMs out there with Jelly Bean and its feature up and running now!

Android continues to mature with Jelly Bean, a smooth, surprisingly comprehensive upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich that cements the smartphone platform's top-tier status.

Despite arriving less than a year after Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean thankfully comes with a raft of meaningful additions that go far beyond the simple bug fix and performance tweak. There are plenty of those, too, but the real benefits are easy to see, and make a difference when using a phone. The new voice search experience and Google Now deliver a one-two punch that will, at the very least, make Android users feel much more engaged with search, especially since the new pull-up gesture gives you voice search access anywhere. Although we're not sure exactly how well it works yet, or how useful it will be on a daily basis, Google Now is at least a novel feature that uses the right tools to predict the information you may want to know about your schedule, your commute, your travel information, your climate-related comfort, and your favorite teams. That's something Apple doesn't offer. Unfortunately, it isn't always clear what kind of script you have to follow to make voice actions happen, so Siri's more flexible language engine wins there. Notifications, a brawnier Android Beam, and a smoother photo-viewing process make Jelly Bean a worthy upgrade from Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and the OS to lust for if you're still using Android 3.2. However, Google's work is far from done, and there are some additional fixes we'd want made in order for Jelly Bean to really rule the candy shop.

Jelly Bean may have solve a lot of performance issues in Android, but fragmentation will continue to be a problem. It seems unlikely that many developers will take advantage of any of Jelly Bean's new features, especially when most of their users will still be running Android Gingerbread or below.