Android 4.2 , the next version of the operating system for tablets and smartphones, will arrive, if the rumors are true, within a month alongside the new Nexus device —perhaps a phablet, though more likely a phone. If Jelly Bean already introduced significant improvements over Ice Cream Sandwich thanks to the development of Project Butter , the new version of the Android system is sure to be just as impressive. What can we expect from it?
AndroidSpin , a well-known website specializing in Android devices, has published an article claiming that the upcoming version 4.2 will be the long-awaited Key Lime Pie and has outlined the features that will most likely be integrated into this new software. It's surprising that a new version of Android is being released considering that only 25% of users have Ice Cream Sandwich or later installed on their devices, but perhaps the real issue isn't Google's rapid evolution, but rather putting pressure on manufacturers to get their act together and adapt each new version to their devices as quickly as possible.
Just as with the joint launch of the Nexus 7 and Jelly Bean , it's believed that the new Android 4.2 will arrive alongside a new Nexus device , expected to be released in about a month, marking a year since the last Samsung phone that carried Google's Android logo. There is some information available about the features of this new version, among which AndroidSpin highlights the following :
- Best support for multiple devices.
- Better integration of the different social media.
- A native application for video chat.
- More advances in the Project Butter.
- Suitability of certain services of Google outside the borders of the USA.
- Improvements in multitask.
- More chances of customization in the application launchers.
- Android Game Center (Game Center for Android).
Many of these features, as we can see, are simply improvements to existing functionalities, but there are some interesting new additions. The native video chat application, for example, is intriguing; we don't know if we'll need to create an account and if it will function as its own social network, similar to Skype. The advancements in multitasking and Project Butter are also welcome: the former is what sets Android apart from other operating systems; the latter brings significant improvements to the software's responsiveness, resulting in a smoother user experience. Finally, the game center is worth highlighting: it will be more fun to be able to save games in a library and compare our achievements with those of our friends.
Little by little more things will come to light. We will carefully follow the news about the new Android 4.2.